Fakhar Zaman: “I wasn’t aware of my condition when the team was leaving for Australia. Later, I found out I was suffering from hyperthyroidism. I’m thankful I didn’t travel with the team because you can’t perform in such a condition”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Pakistan batsman Fakhar Zaman has admitted he was glad he wasn’t picked for the tour of Australia as he “was suffering from hyperthyroidism”.
Zaman has also been overlooked for Pakistan’s limited overs series against Zimbabwe and South Africa.
Many people claimed it was due to the fact Zaman criticised the decision to drop Babar Azam midway through the three-Test series against England in October 2024.
However, limited overs head coach Aaqib Javed attributed Zaman’s exclusion to fitness issues.
With so much speculation floating around, Zaman cleared the air, saying he wouldn’t have been able to perform had he gone to Australia due to the symptoms associated with hyperthyroidism.
“I wasn’t aware of my condition when the team was leaving for Australia. Later, I found out I was suffering from hyperthyroidism. I’m thankful I didn’t travel with the team because you can’t perform in such a condition,” the 34-year-old from Mardan was quoted as saying by Cricket Pakistan.
Since Zaman wasn’t picked in the national team, he recently played in the Champions T20 Cup, where he amassed 303 runs in 10 matches for the Markhors, which included two fifties, at an average of 30.30 and a strike-rate of 132.31.
During their tour of Australia, Pakistan won the ODI series 2-0 before getting hammered 3-0 in the T20Is.
The men in green then travelled to Zimbabwe and came away with a 2-1 win in both the ODI and T20I series.
As for their ongoing tour of South Africa, Pakistan lost the T20I series 2-0 before rebounding to secure a 3-0 victory in the ODIs.
Currently, the two-Test series is going on, which South Africa lead 1-0 after securing a two-wicket win in the 1st Test in Centurion.
The 2nd Test will begin on January 3 in Cape Town.
Pakistan Squad for South Africa T20I Series: Mohammad Rizwan (captain and wicketkeeper), Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Haris Rauf, Jahandad Khan, Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Hasnain, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Omair Bin Yousuf, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufiyan Muqeem, Tayyab Tahir and Usman Khan (wicketkeeper)
Pakistan Squad for South Africa ODI Series: Mohammad Rizwan (captain and wicketkeeper), Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Haris Rauf, Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Hasnain, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufiyan Muqeem, Tayyab Tahir and Usman Khan (wicketkeeper)
Pakistan Squad for South Africa Test Series: Shan Masood (captain), Saud Shakeel (vice-captain), Aamer Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Babar Azam, Haseebullah Khan (wicketkeeper), Kamran Ghulam, Khurram Shahzad, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Naseem Shah, Noman Ali, Saim Ayub and Salman Ali Agha