Fakhar Zaman shuts retirement rumours after PCB intervention; makes bold ‘had I opened...’ claim on Pakistan's debacle
The statement from Fakhar Zaman came shortly amid reports claiming that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) advised the batter against any hasty retirement plans.
Pakistan's opening batter Fakhar Zaman, on Wednesday, was quick to shut the rumours over his shock retirement from the ODI format amid the team's Champions Trophy debacle. The statement from Zaman came shortly amid reports claiming that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) advised the batter against any hasty retirement plans.
On Wednesday evening, Pakistani media channels went abuzz, claiming Zaman is all set to draw curtains on his ODI career. The report emerged just days after the Mohammad Rizwan-led side incurred an embarrassing group-stage exit in the Champions Trophy. The report added that besides his health issues, Zaman was left frustrated at PCB's rules about No-objection certificates for playing in overseas leagues.
Calling the rumours "baseless," Zaman, who is undergoing rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Lahore following an oblique tear which had ruled him out of the Champions Trophy right after the opening game, said that he remains committed to joining the ODI team soon.
"Well, I've also heard a lot about this and my friends have also sent messages. There is no truth in this. One-day is my favourite format and, yes, because of my thyroid (problem) I was thinking of taking some time off from cricket. But retirement never crossed my mind. I want to play One-day, T20, even I want to play Test cricket," Zaman said in a video posted on 'X' by Pakistan Cricket Board.
The development came just moments after a PTI report claimed PCB urged Zaman to reconsider his call.
"He is basically upset and down because of his recent fitness and health issues," a source close to the batsman said. "He has had some constant health issues which have affected him physically and mentally and he has also had to deal with a chronic knee problem since 2022. He feels best to just focus on the T20 format."
A reliable source in the PCB said Zaman had been conveyed that he should not make any decisions in haste. "He has been advised to take a break and first get completely fit and healthy before he makes any decision. Fakhar has been told after that he can take a decision on his ODI career but to do nothing in frustration or haste," he added.
Fakhar Zaman's bold claim on Pakistan debacle
Further giving an update on his injury, in which he said that the doctor had advised him to resume training in three weeks, Zaman claimed that things would have been different for Pakistan had he not incurred the injury during the tournament opener against New Zealand.
"I feel if I had opened, things would have been different because when you get big targets, a lot depends on the openers. Unfortunately, I couldn't. But I did try. I went to the umpire to ask if there could be some rule. But he said that nothing could be done. There was a lot of pain, but still I went to bat in the 28th over, but again what is done is done," he said.
