New Delhi: Pakistan pacer Mohammad Amir targeted the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) after star batter Fakhar Zaman was snubbed from the central contracts list announced by the board on Sunday, October 27. Fakhar, who earlier held a B-category contract, was ignored from the list for the 2024-25 international season along with the likes of Imam-ul-Haq and Imad Wasim among others.
Fakhar was snubbed from the central contracts list for tweeting in support of Babar Azam while slamming the PCB and the selection panel for dropping the former Pakistan captain from the Test squad. Fakhar had questioned the selectors’ decision to drop Babar for the final two Test matches against England in a tweet that went viral.
The decision to drop Babar didn’t come back to haunt Pakistan as the hosts managed to pull off a sensational turnaround to beat England in back-to-back two matches to clinch the three-match Test series 2-1. However, Fakhar’s tweet for Babar ended up costing him his central contract with the Pakistan team.
The decision to drop Fakhar from the central contracts list didn’t go down well with Amir, who slammed the PCB in a tweet. Amir said Fakhar is Pakistan’s only impact player and he shouldn’t have been left out. Fakhar has been a vital cog in the Pakistan batting line-up in white-ball cricket over the years and is known for his hitting prowess.
“I am surprised that Fakhar Zaman is not in the team. He is the only impact player we have in white ball cricket,” Amir wrote on his tweet.
I am surprised that @FakharZamanLive is not in the team. He is the only impact player we have in white ball cricket.
— Mohammad Amir (@iamamirofficial) October 27, 2024
Fakhar Zaman needs to prove his fitness: PCB chairman
PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi agreed that Fakhar’s public bashing of the selectors and the board in his tweet for Babar was one of the reasons behind his exclusion from the central contracts list. However, he insisted the batter’s fitness was a major issue. Naqvi said Fakhar will have to prove his fitness before he can make his comeback in the Pakistan team.
“Tweet was one issue, but the bigger matter was one that of fitness. There is a show cause notice pending against him, and we will see about that. He would need to prove his fitness, his point of view was valued in the Connection Camp and I am very thankful to him for that but you cannot go around commenting on the selection committee over selection calls. But ya, the bigger issue is of selection,” Naqvi said in a press conference on Sunday.
Fakhar missed out on a central contract for Pakistan for the first time in 8 years. He last featured for Pakistan in the T20 World Cup 2024 where he scored 38 runs in 4 matches as Pakistan bowed out from the tournament from the group stage. Fakhar was not named in Pakistan’s T20I squad for their upcoming series against Australia and Zimbabwe on Sunday.
Mohammad Rizwan has been appointed as Pakistan’s new white-ball captain after Babar stepped down from captaincy earlier this year.
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