Mohammad Amir: “If Saim Ayub deserves a chance in T20Is, then so does Fakhar Zaman; you can’t head to the T20 World Cup without him”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Pakistan left-arm seamer Mohammad Amir believes top order batsman Fakhar Zaman should definitely be picked for the 2026 T20 World Cup.
Zaman has been a regular face in the shortest format, but questions have been raised about his consistency as of late.
During the T20I tri-series against Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe, the 35-year-old scored 75 runs in five matches at an average of 25 and a strike-rate of 150.
Despite all the talk about Zaman’s batting, Amir maintained that Pakistan should not head to the T20 World Cup without him – particularly if they intend to continue backing players like Saim Ayub.
Like Zaman, Ayub’s form has also been turbulent, but he continues to keep hold of his place in the T20I side.
“If Saim Ayub deserves a chance in T20Is, then so does Fakhar Zaman; you can’t head to the T20 World Cup without him,” Amir was quoted as saying on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Zaman is currently involved in the International League T20 (ILT20), where he has made 240 runs in 11 matches for the Desert Vipers, which includes a top score of 69, at an average of 21.81 and a strike-rate of 123.71.
Up next for Pakistan is a three-match T20I tour of Sri Lanka, with the Mardan native likely to take part following his inclusion in the squad.
The three T20Is will be played in Dambulla from January 7 to 11.
Pakistan Squad for Sri Lanka T20I Series: Salman Ali Agha (captain), Abdul Samad, Abrar Ahmad, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Khawaja Nafay (wicketkeeper), Mohammad Nawaz, Salman Mirza, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan (wicketkeeper), Saim Ayub, Shadab Khan, Usman Khan (wicketkeeper), Usman Tariq