Ahmed Shehzad: “He was unfairly dropped due to unjust reasons”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Veteran Pakistan cricketer Ahmed Shehzad believes top order batsman Fakhar Zaman was “unfairly dropped due to unjust reasons”.
Zaman missed Pakistan’s limited overs series against Australia, Zimbabwe and South Africa, but remained active in domestic cricket.
He was the third-highest run-scorer in the Champions T20 Cup with 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.
Zaman himself said he was unable to play since he had been suffering with hyperthyroidism.
The 34-year-old made his comeback in the ODI tri-series against New Zealand and South Africa, but Shehzad cannot understand why it took so long to recall him, especially considering his last international match before the tri-series came all the way back at the 2024 T20 World Cup.
“He was unfairly dropped due to unjust reasons,” Shehzad was quoted as saying by TOK Sports on X, formerly known as Twitter.
In the ODI tri-series, Zaman amassed 135 runs in three matches, which included a top score of 84, at an average of 45 and a strike-rate of 120.53.
He then took part in the 2025 Champions Trophy and scored 24 runs in the opening game against New Zealand.
However, Zaman suffered an oblique injury during the match and missed the remainder of the tournament, in which the men in green crashed out in the group stage after losing to New Zealand and India.
Their final match against Bangladesh was abandoned due to rain.
Pakistan’s next assignment will be a limited overs tour of New Zealand, which will consist of five T20Is and three ODIs that will be held from March 16 to April 5.
Pakistan Squad for T20I Series against New Zealand: Hasan Nawaz, Omair Yousuf, Mohammad Haris, Abdul Samad, Salman Ali Agha (captain), Irfan Khan Niazi, Khushdil Shah, Shadab Khan, Abbas Afridi, Jahandad Khan, Mohammad Ali, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf, Sufiyan Muqeem, Abrar Ahmed, Usman Khan
Pakistan Squad for ODI Series against New Zealand: Mohammad Rizwan (captain), Salman Ali Agha, Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Akif Javed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Imam-ul-Haq, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Irfan Khan Niazi, Naseem Shah, Sufiyan Muqeem, Tayyab Tahir
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