Pakistan’s batsman Fakhar Zaman has faced consequences for supporting former team captain Babar Azam. Pakistan had dropped Babar from the second and third Test matches against England, and Fakhar expressed his discontent through a social media post on Sunday, questioning this decision. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) was reportedly upset with this, and has now issued a show cause notice to Fakhar, citing an alleged violation of the players’ code of conduct.
Fakhar Zaman Cited Kohli as an Example to Criticize
In his post on X, Fakhar questioned the selection committee’s decision, using Virat Kohli as an example. He wrote, “It is concerning to hear suggestions about dropping Babar Azam. India did not drop Virat Kohli during his difficult phase between 2020 and 2023, when his averages were 19.33, 28.21, and 26.50 respectively. If we are considering sidelining our premier batsman, who is Pakistan’s greatest player to date, it can send a deeply negative message throughout the team. There’s still time to avoid hitting the panic button. We should focus on protecting our key players instead of weakening them.”
Fakhar Must Respond by 21 October
After Fakhar’s post, reports surfaced that the PCB was displeased with his actions. A day later, the board demanded an explanation from him. In the notice, the PCB informed Fakhar that he had violated his contract by publicly criticizing the board’s policies and selection. He has been given until October 21 to respond to the show cause notice. It is worth noting that Fakhar is part of the PCB’s central contract list.
Pakistan Suffered a Crushing Defeat Against England
Pakistan faced a heavy defeat in the first Test match against England despite scoring 556 runs. Following the disappointing performance, there were growing murmurs of discontent within the PCB. Babar came under scrutiny as he had been struggling for some time, not just in Test cricket but also in ODIs and T20s. Babar has failed to score a half-century in his last 18 Test innings, and his performance in the T20 World Cup 2024 was also subpar. In the previous match against England, Babar was unable to make an impact and was dismissed cheaply. Even on a flat pitch in Multan, Babar could not put up a big score.