Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi confirmed that the tweet posted by star batsman Fakhar Zaman in support of former captain Babar Azam played a key role in destroying his career.
Fakhar Zaman has been left out of the recently announced list of centrally contracted players of the Pakistan National Cricket Team. Additionally, he was dropped from the white-ball team for the tours of Australia and Zimbabwe.
Fakhar Zaman lost his central contract
On Sunday, October 27, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced revised central contracts for the Pakistan men’s cricket team.
Fakhar Zaman was delisted after criticizing the Pakistan Cricket Board for removing Babar Azam from the team for the second and third test matches against the England National Cricket Team.
In his tweet, posted on October 13, Fakhar Zaman expressed his concern over the elimination of Babar Azam. He urged PCB to avoid hitting the panic button by dropping Babar and even compared his scenario to Virat Kohli, who was not dropped by the Indian selectors during their lean spell.
This tweet led to him being issued a show cause notice by the Pakistan Cricket Board. Furthermore, the relationship between the board and the player deteriorated, leading to Fakhar losing his central contract for the first time in eight years.
Fakhar Zaman, who was previously part of Category B in central contracts, last played for Pakistan during the 2024 T20 World Cup and now his international cricket career is under serious threat.
But it is unacceptable for a player to tweet against the selection committee – Mohsin Naqvi
Speaking at a press conference where Mohammad Rizwan and Salman Ali Agha were named the new captain and vice-captain of the Pakistan national cricket team in white-ball cricket, the PCB chairman confirmed that Fakhar Zaman’s tweet is indeed a important problem for them.
Mohsin Naqvi said that “it is unacceptable” for a player to express concern about decisions made by a selection committee, and the selection committee will always be strict in these matters. However, the PCB chief also made it clear that Fakhar’s failure in the aptitude test was also a key reason behind his omission. Naqvi elaborated:
“The tweet [he posted] It’s a problem for us. However, it doesn’t matter so much if you fail your fitness test. We have to make a decision on your show cause notice, and then you have to pass your fitness test. That’s why it’s not there. He spoke very well in the connection field, and it was him raising his voice that led us to reform our international department. I appreciate it. But it is unacceptable for a player to tweet against the selection committee. That is not allowed and never will be.”
I want to extend my congratulations to Mohammad Rizwan – Mohsin Naqvi
Mohsin Naqvi also congratulated Mohammad Rizwan on his appointment as white-ball captain and expressed confidence in his leadership abilities. He elaborated:
“I want to congratulate Mohammad Rizwan on his appointment as captain of the Pakistan White team. I am confident that Rizwan’s leadership qualities, backed by his deep commitment and passion for the game, will help turn this talented team into a consistently successful unit.
“Rizwan has earned the respect of his teammates and colleagues thanks to his dedication and positive attitude, and I have no doubt that these qualities, combined with his knowledge of the game and his performance, will inspire the next generation of Indian cricketers. Pakistan”.