Ramiz Raja: “I believe they should rest him, give him some time out”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Ramiz Raja, the former Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman, believes it might be best for the team to drop opening batsman Fakhar Zaman.
Zaman has been underperforming for some time now and there are questions about whether Pakistan should axe him from the side altogether until he regains his form.
However, with Abdullah Shafique already having taken his opening spot in ODIs, it remains to be seen if the 33-year-old will get another chance in the future.
While it is too early to speculate about Zaman’s future, Ramiz feels it would be beneficial to drop the Mardan native and let him rediscover his form by playing domestic cricket.
“I believe they should rest him, give him some time out,” he said on his YouTube channel as quoted by Cricket Pakistan. “Sidelining him is better for him as well as the Pakistan side.”
In the ongoing 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup, Zaman played in the first game against the Netherlands, but only made 12 runs.
Shafique replaced him after this game and had an immediate impact as he struck a career-best 113 against Sri Lanka.
Following this, the 23-year-old from Sialkot scored 20, 64 and 58 against India, Australia and Afghanistan respectively.
Pakistan won against the Netherlands and Sri Lanka before suffering three consecutive losses to India, Australia and Afghanistan.
They will now face South Africa on October 27 in Chennai.
Pakistan Squad for 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup: Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Abdullah Shafique, Babar Azam (capt), Mohammad Rizwan, Saud Shakeel, Iftikhar Ahmed, Salman Ali Agha, Shadab Khan, Usama Mir, Mohammad Nawaz, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Hasan Ali