Pakistan, Feb 20: In a major blow to Pakistan’s Champions Trophy campaign, star opener Fakhar Zaman has been ruled out of the tournament due to chest muscular pain, according to reports.
As per reports, Fakher Zaman will not be traveling to Dubai with the team for their high-voltage clash against India on Sunday.
Pakistan team is already missing the services of star opening batter Saim Ayub in Champions Trophy 2025 due to ankle injury and now news of Zaman getting ruled out has complexed Pakistan’s problems
With Fakhar out, Imam-ul-Haq is expected to replace him in the squad. Imam played his ODI for Pakistan in Chennai on October 27, 2023.
Fakhar, who was instrumental in Pakistan’s historic Champions Trophy 2017 final victory over India, suffered the injury while fielding during the match against New Zealand in Karachi. He missed most of the innings but later came out to bat at No. 4 during Pakistan’s 321-run chase. Despite his evident discomfort, Fakhar managed to score 24 runs off 41 balls, hitting four boundaries.
Fakhar’s absence is particularly significant given his heroics in the 2017 Champions Trophy final, where he scored a match-winning 114 off 106 balls against India, earning him the Player of the Match award and securing Pakistan’s memorable victory at The Oval.
In his absence, Babar Azam and Saud Shakeel opened for Pakistan in the Champions Trophy 2025 opener at the National Stadium but failed to provide the team with a solid start. With the tournament heating up, Pakistan now faces an uphill battle to regain momentum. (news18)
