Fakhar Zaman disappointed over central contract snub but not planning to retire: report

Opener Fakhar Zaman is feeling “upset” after the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) left him off the list of centrally contracted players. However, he has no plans to retire from international cricket, according to reports from the Press Trust of India (PTI).

In addition to being dropped from the contract list, Fakhar, who is the only Pakistani batter to score a double hundred in ODIs, was not included in the squad for the upcoming white-ball series in Australia.

A source close to Fakhar told PTI, “Look, he is obviously upset and disappointed because the selectors and board have apparently applied different sets of rules while taking fitness tests and clearing players.” Fakhar has been dealing with a knee issue since 2022, which he believes affected his performance in fitness tests.

Despite failing to meet the time for a two-kilometre sprint test, Fakhar is frustrated that other players who also did not meet the required time were still selected for the team. “He feels clarity is required from the selectors on why some players are being favoured,” the source added.

PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi commented on Fakhar’s situation, mentioning that a recent tweet from him regarding Babar Azam's selection breached the board's code of conduct. However, Mohsin clarified that this was not the only reason for Fakhar's omission.

“The primary reason is that he has not been 100 percent fit in recent times and has failed fitness tests. The selectors have told him to rehab and clear the fitness tests,” said Mohsin.

There is also speculation that some PCB officials may be upset with Fakhar for being critical during a recent meeting about the board's performance, suggesting that he may be facing consequences for his candidness.