The Pakistan Cricket Board has urged Fakhar Zaman to reconsider his thoughts of retiring from ODI cricket after his exclusion from the Champions Trophy due to injury. Sources indicate that Fakhar is feeling disheartened and considering retirement to focus on T20 formats, exacerbated by ongoing health issues, including a chronic knee problem. He has been advised by the PCB to take a break and fully recover before making any decisions about his ODI career. As he approaches his 35th birthday and with upcoming tournaments, Fakhar is racing to regain fitness. He has played 86 ODIs, scoring 11 centuries.
The Pakistan Cricket Board has urged Fakhar Zaman to think twice about any impulsive decision to retire from ODI cricket after it was reported that the seasoned opener was considering stepping away from the format following his injury-related exclusion from the Champions Trophy. Sources suggest that Fakhar, who missed the ICC event due to an injury sustained in the opening match against New Zealand, is contemplating retirement from ODIs to concentrate on T20 cricket. “He is quite upset and feeling low due to his recent health and fitness struggles,” said a source close to the batsman.
The left-handed opener, who made his return to the national team after a long absence post the 2023 World Cup, has faced multiple fitness challenges.
It is believed that Fakhar wants to retire from 50-over cricket to extend his career and devote his focus solely to T20 formats.
Having not participated in Test cricket for Pakistan since early 2019, Fakhar is mainly seen as a white-ball specialist.
“He has been dealing with continual health issues affecting him both physically and mentally, in addition to a chronic knee problem since 2022. He feels it’s best to focus just on the T20 format,” the source highlighted.
However, a reliable source within the PCB mentioned that Fakhar has been advised against making any rash decisions.
“He has been encouraged to take time off and fully recover before making any decisions.” “Fakhar has been informed that he can decide about his ODI career afterward, but not to act out of frustration or urgency,” the source added.
Fakhar was notably left out of the PCB’s central contracts list for the 2024/25 season and received a show cause notice from the board last year after tweeting about Babar Azam’s selection matters.
With the tour to New Zealand set for March-April and the Pakistan Super League (PSL) approaching, Fakhar is in a race against time to achieve full fitness.
As he approaches his 35th birthday in April, Fakhar has played 86 ODIs, accumulating 11 centuries, along with 92 T20 Internationals and three Tests.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Topics mentioned in this article