Fakhar Zaman not considering taking retirement from international cricket: report

Pakistan batter Fakhar Zaman is not considering to retire from international cricket despite being dropped from the central conracts for the 2024-25 season by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), a close source to the left-handed batter said. 

“Look, he is obviously upset and disappointed because the selectors and board have apparently applied different sets of rules while taking fitness tests and clearing players,” a source close to Zaman said.

The source said Fakhar Zaman, who has been carrying a knee niggle which first surfaced in 2022, was unhappy because while he did fail to clear the 2km sprint test in given time, some other players had also not met the required time but still were yet picked in the team.

“He feels clarity is required from the selectors on why some players are being favoured,” the source added.

On Sunday, the PCB announced the central contracts for the 2024-25 international season, along with the squads for the tours to Australia and Zimbabwe.

As many as 25 players have been added to the central contract list by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) while Fakhar Zaman, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Imad Wasim and Iftikhar Ahmed have been dropped.

The cricket board also appointed wicket-keeper Mohammad Rizwan as the captain for Pakistan’s white-ball team ahead of the upcoming tours of Australia and Zimbabwe.

Pakistan squad for Australia

ODI squad: Mohammad Rizwan (c)(wk), Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Arafat Minhas, Babar Azam, Faisal Akram, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah (wk), Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Hasnain, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha (vc) and Shaheen Shah Afridi.

T20I squad: Mohammad Rizwan (c)(wk), Arafat Minhas, Babar Azam, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah (wk), Jahandad Khan, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Omair Bin Yousuf, Sahibzada Farhan, Salman Ali Agha (vc), Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufyan Moqim, Usman Khan.