PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi has responded to recent comments from Fakhar Zaman, who defended Babar Azam's inclusion in the national team following his exclusion from the squad for the second and third Test matches against England.

Naqvi addressed and clarified the reasons behind Fakhar's omission from the central contracts list, stating that while the tweet issue has been noted, it is overshadowed by significant concerns regarding Zaman's fitness.

"There is the tweet issue definitely. But that doesn’t matter as much as his fitness tests. He had two issues: the fitness test and the show-cause notice, which is still pending. That is why he hasn’t been included (in the central contracts list)," Naqvi said.

Fakhar's defense of Babar, which drew parallels to India’s handling of Virat Kohli during a tough period, raised eyebrows. He warned that sidelining a player of Babar's caliber could send a negative message to the team, emphasizing the need to safeguard key players rather than undermine them.

"It’s concerning to hear suggestions about dropping Babar Azam. India didn’t bench Virat Kohli during his rough stretch between 2020 and 2023, when he averaged 19.33, 28.21, and 26.50, respectively. 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 wrote on X.

Naqvi acknowledged Fakhar's contributions during the connection camp, expressing appreciation for his insights. However, he reiterated the importance of discipline within the team, particularly when players react to selection decisions through social media. 

"Fakhar spoke well in the connection camp, and because of that, we’ve fixed a lot of things and are doing more in the international department. I appreciate him for that, but this can’t happen if a player gets dropped by the selection committee then another player starts doing tweets against it. This isn’t allowed and won’t be allowed. But the bigger issue is his fitness test," he further added.