LAHORE – Pakistan’s opening batter Fakhar Zaman has denied rumors about his retirement, taking a break from cricket, or moving abroad, confirming he plans to return to the field within a month.
In an interview released by PCB, Fakhar clarified there is no truth to his retirement news, saying, “I will rejoin the team once I’m fully fit. I considered a short break due to my thyroid issue. My injury has improved significantly over the past week, and doctors have advised me to resume training in three weeks. I’ll be back within a month.”
Discussing the Champions Trophy, he said, “I had planned a lot for the tournament. Despite the doctors advising rest, I started training. Unfortunately, the pain resurfaced when the team needed me the most. When I felt the pain, I realized my Champions Trophy campaign was over.”
Addressing his batting position, Fakhar stated, “Opening is my favorite spot, but I’ll play wherever the team needs me. I wanted to open against New Zealand, but the umpires said the rules didn’t allow it. Despite the pain, I continued fielding, hoping I might still get the chance.”
On the India match, he added, “I can’t say much about it since we lost. Cricket is unpredictable. Maybe I could have scored big, but it’s all in the past now.”
Fakhar also expressed his desire to play across all formats — ODIs, T20s, and Tests — and said, “I’m focused on red-ball cricket, but it depends on the coach and captain’s plans. There are better Test players than me at the moment.”
Highlighting his bowling skills, he said, “I’m a better bowler than a batter. Shadab Khan once told me that when he becomes captain, I’ll bowl five overs in ODIs and a hundred in T20s. He even captained a match against New Zealand, but that game didn’t happen.”
