Pakistan’s new white ball captain Mohammad Rizvan it finally opened on the way down Fakhar Zaman for the team’s white ball tour of Australia. Pakistan will tour Australia for three ODIs and three T20Is in November.
Pakistan picked a full-strength team of the likes Babar AzamShaheen Afridi and Naseem Shah, the biggest surprise was Fakhar Zaman’s absence from the squad.
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi blamed Zaman’s indiscretion on fitness issues and his controversial comments in support of former captain Babar Azam. However, he received support from Pakistan’s white-ball captain Mohammad Rizwan.
Mohammad Rizvan Fakhar breaks the silence to the song of Time
Speaking to reporters ahead of Pakistan’s tour of Australia, Mohammad Rizwan was asked about PCB’s decision to drop Fakhar Zaman. Rizwan hailed Zaman’s ability to influence the game with his batting skills but claimed that some decisions were out of his hands.
“There is no question about Fakhar’s impact, he is an influential player who can single-handedly change the game in any situation. Although some decisions are beyond my control, we have discussed his potential return and we hope that the matter will be resolved soon,” said Rizwan.
Fakhar Zaman is a key player for Pakistan in white ball cricket. He is key in ODIs and bats in T20I cricket. The 34-year-old is known for his ability to score quick runs and can be devastating against both fast bowlers and spinners.
International numbers of Fakhar Zaman
The left-handed batsman played 82 ODIs for Pakistan and scored 3492 runs at an average of 46.56 and a strike rate of 93.44. He has played 92 T20Is so far and has scored 1848 runs at an average of 22.81 and a strike rate of 132.94.
Fakhar Zaman was instrumental in Pakistan winning the Champions Trophy in 2017. Close to winning the Champions Trophy next year, his experience could come in handy for Pakistan. Without it, they will need an experienced corpse above.
Mohammad Rizwan plays without Gary Kirsten
Mohammad Rizwan also said that the players will try to play as a team and not for individual records. He insists on giving full support to the next head coach of the team Gary Kirsten recently announced his retirement.
“When you play for the country, you are not an individual. Our focus is always on playing for Pakistan and not on individual positions. Whoever is chosen as the head coach, we will work together to achieve our goals,” added Rizvan.
Gary Kirsten has resigned as Pakistan’s white-ball head coach just a week before the team’s first ODI against Australia. It is believed that Kirsten was unhappy with the PCB’s performance as the board had dropped the coach and captain from the selection panel.
