The left-handed opening batter of the Pakistan side, Fakhar Zaman, has formally addressed the show-cause notice that their cricket board has issued on the back of his public comments, which supported their former captain of the national side, Babar Azam after the selectors decided to drop him for the second of the three-match Test series against England in Multan.
Due to the poor performance of the veteran for the last few years, the board rested the classic batter along with the two pacers, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah before the contest. But dropping the former wasn’t received in a good manner by the fans of the country at the start until they went on to win the game.
In a recent post on social media, Fakhar Zaman expressed his concerns regarding the exclusion of Babar, drawing a comparison of how the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) treated Virat Kohli during the COVID years when he wasn’t getting centuries freely.
Fakhar Zaman clarifies comments over PCB and Babar Azam
The challenging period from 2020 to 2023 found the Delhi-born not being at his incredible consistency in the game. The Pakistan opener noted that despite recording averages of 19.33, 28.21, and 26.50, the selectors of India backed Kohli, which highlights the importance of support during difficult times.
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“It’s concerning to hear suggestions about dropping Babar Azam. If we are considering sidelining our premier batsman, arguably the best Pakistan has ever produced, it could send a deeply negative message across the team.” Fakhar Zaman wrote on his ‘X’ handle.
He also addressed that it would be crucial to protect their best batters and uplift the confidence of players like Babar rather than destroying that by dropping them in the middle of a series.
“There is still time to avoid pressing the panic button; we should focus on safeguarding our key players rather than undermining them.” The 34-year-old added.
These comments didn’t satisfy many of the selectors and the board members and they questioned the respect of the batter for the PCB. But Fakhar Zaman stated that those comments were made out of concern for a friend and a fellow player.
“Babar Azam is one of the best batters in the world, and that’s why I felt compelled to express my opinion. I believe Babar Azam deserved a chance during tough times, reflecting on the PCB’s central contract as a fellow player.” He clarified in a recent interaction besides addressing PCB as their institution, and vowed to continue respect for it.
The left-handed batter has cracked 3492 runs in 81 innings at an average of 46.56 and a strike rate of over 90, shouldering on 16 half-centuries and 11 centuries at a best score of unbeaten 210 runs against Zimbabwe. In the shortest format of the game, he has smashed 1848 runs in 84 innings at an average of below 23 and a strike rate of over 130, with the help of 11 half-centuries at a best score of 91.
Also Read: Selection Of Fakhar Zaman Under Clouds For This Reason Regarding Australia 2024 Trip
He could end up missing the upcoming white-ball series of the Australia trip because of the injury. He failed the fitness test upon his long trip back from the Caribbean, where he was given the task of completing a two-km run in eight minutes, and he failed to earn success.
Even though the selector, Aaqib Javed, has relaxed fitness for the selection criteria, it will be interesting to see if he still makes the squad after his recent comments on PCB.