Pakistani opener Fakhar Zaman is on track to be reinstated into the central contracts and the national white-ball squad after the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chose to issue a reprimand instead of imposing severe punishment for his recent breach of conduct.
According to a PCB source who spoke to PTI, a committee is set to evaluate Fakhar’s response to a show-cause notice he received following a controversial tweet about former captain Babar Azam. Previously, Fakhar was excluded from the 2024-25 central contracts and was left out of the recent white-ball series against Australia and Zimbabwe.
Also Read: PCB Issues Show-Cause Notice to Fakhar Zaman Over Recent Tweet
The source indicated that Fakhar’s reply to the notice was apologetic and displayed remorse, which has led to positive discussions among PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi, selectors, and the new captain Mohammad Rizwan. Although selectors have advised him to focus on recovering from a knee injury ahead of the white-ball series in South Africa in December, he is expected to be included in the squad for those matches and subsequently reinstated in the central contracts.
With the ICC Champions Trophy set to take place in Pakistan early next year, Rizwan and the selectors believe that Fakhar remains a valuable asset to the team. It is anticipated that the committee will accept his response and clear him for selection, pending a fitness test prior to the South Africa tour.
