Ramiz Raja: “Pakistan need to assess Fakhar”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Ramiz Raja, the former Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman, believes it is time for the team management to make a decision on opening batsman Fakhar Zaman.
Zaman has been out of form for some time and has since been replaced by Abdullah Shafique in the ongoing 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup.
Given that Zaman is 33 years old now, Ramiz pointed out that the men in green have to make a tough choice on whether to reintegrate him into the batting line-up or stick with Shafique.
“Pakistan need to assess Fakhar,” he said on his YouTube channel as quoted by Cricket Pakistan.
Zaman played in Pakistan’s World Cup opener against the Netherlands, but could only muster 12 runs before getting out.
Opting to change things up, Shafique was brought in and has done well so far as he made a career-best 113 against Sri Lanka before making 20, 64, 58 and 9 against India, Australia, Afghanistan and South Africa respectively.
Pakistan won their first two games against the Netherlands and Sri Lanka before suffering defeats in their next four games.
They will be looking to turn their fortunes around when they take on Bangladesh on October 31 in Kolkata.
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
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