Pakistan cricketer Fakhar Zaman has found himself in hot water after openly criticizing the selectors for their decision to rest Babar Azam from the ongoing Test series against England. Zaman also referenced India’s unwavering support for Virat Kohli during his form slump, drawing comparisons with Babar’s situation.
Babar, along with pacers Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah, was left out of the squad for the second Test against England, sparking debate. The trio had been struggling in red-ball cricket, and the selectors made the bold call after Pakistan lost the first Test, despite amassing 556 runs in the first innings.
While Pakistan’s assistant coach, Azhar Mahmood, clarified that the players were rested, not dropped, questions continued to swirl. Mahmood even mentioned that Babar was eager to play the remaining matches. Fakhar Zaman, a prominent figure in Pakistan’s limited-overs teams, took to social media to voice his concerns.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Fakhar criticized the decision, pointing out how India stood by Virat Kohli during his lean patch between 2020 and 2022.
“It’s disheartening to hear talks of dropping Babar Azam. India didn’t drop Virat Kohli when he struggled with form from 2020 to 2023, averaging 19.33, 28.21, and 26.50 during that time. If we sideline one of our greatest batsmen, it could send a damaging message to the entire team. Instead of panicking, we should focus on supporting our key players,” Fakhar wrote.
PCB Issues Show Cause Notice to Fakhar Zaman
Fakhar’s remarks did not sit well with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), which swiftly issued him a show cause notice for violating the players’ code of conduct. Being a centrally contracted player, Fakhar is prohibited from publicly criticizing board policies. He has been asked to respond to the notice by October 21.
The PCB’s notice underlined that Fakhar’s comments amounted to a breach of his contract, as they publicly questioned the selectors’ decisions and board policies.
Pakistan’s Spin-Heavy Strategy for 2nd Test
With Babar rested, Pakistan opted for a spin-dominated lineup in the second Test, recalling Noman Ali, Sajid Khan, and Zahid Mahmood. Aamer Jamal is the sole fast-bowling option. Noman returns to the Test side after over a year, Sajid last featured against Australia earlier this year, and Zahid’s last Test was against England in 2022.
Kamran Ghulam will make his Test debut, stepping in for Babar at the No. 4 position. Pakistan’s strategy is to reuse the same pitch from the first Test, hoping their spinners can claim 20 wickets, a feat they’ve achieved only once in their last six matches, all of which they lost under Shan Masood’s leadership.
Babar, currently in a rough patch, has not scored a half-century in his last 18 Test innings, with his highest score of 41 coming against Australia in Melbourne last year.
