Fakhar Zaman draws PCB ire after tweeting in support of Babar Azam

It seems Pakistan opening batter Fakhar Zaman has invited trouble by voicing his support for Babar Azam. After a dismal show in the Pakistan vs Bangladesh series, where he scored 64 runs across four innings, Azam continued his low-scoring streak in the first Pakistan vs England Test as well. As a result, Azam, along with pacers Shaheen Afridi and Naseem Shah, was dropped from the Pakistan squad ahead of the remaining two Tests. Fakhar Zaman, a regular in Pakistan’s white-ball squad, strongly criticized the board’s decision regarding Azam.

Fakhar Zaman lands in trouble with PCB following a tweet supporting Babar Azam

Former skipper Babar Azam has been in a lean patch in red-ball cricket for quite a while now. The batter last scored a Test century in 2022 and has not been able to notch even a half-century for almost two years. Pakistan, meanwhile, suffered a crushing 2-0 series defeat against Bangladesh at home. Moreover, their woes were amplified when England thrashed them at the Multan pitch by an innings and 47 runs in the first Pakistan vs England Test. With the team desperately seeking ways to improve their performance, Babar Azam was dropped in an attempt to secure a win against England.

The decision by the recently appointed selection committee has not sat well with Azam’s fans and certain members of the cricketing fraternity. Fakhar Zaman condemned the PCB's decision and took to Twitter to express his support for Azam. The opening batter compared Azam to Virat Kohli, arguing that India did not drop Kohli when he was struggling to score. Zaman even referred to Babar as the “best player that Pakistan has ever produced” and advised the board against making rash decisions in panic.

“It’s concerning to hear suggestions about dropping Babar Azam. India didn’t bench Virat Kohli during his rough stretch between 2020 and 2023 when he averaged 19.33, 28.21, and 26.50, respectively. If we are considering sidelining our premier batsman, arguably the best Pakistan has ever produced, it could send a deeply negative message across the team. There is still time to avoid pressing the panic button; we should focus on safeguarding our key players rather than undermining them,” Fakhar tweeted.

It’s concerning to hear suggestions about dropping Babar Azam. India didn’t bench Virat Kohli during his rough stretch between 2020 and 2023, when he averaged 19.33, 28.21, and 26.50, respectively. If we are considering sidelining our premier batsman, arguably the best Pakistan…

— Fakhar Zaman (@FakharZamanLive) October 13, 2024

Zaman’s tweet caused a significant uproar on social media, with netizens questioning his audacity to compare Azam to Kohli. In response, the PCB took swift action, issuing a show-cause notice against the centrally contracted player. The Pakistan Cricket Board alleged that Zaman’s tweet breached the players’ code of conduct, leading to the formal notice.

Meanwhile, the second Pakistan vs New Zealand Test has begun in Multan. The match is being played on the same pitch as the first Test. Pakistan has fielded a spin-heavy team, including three spinners in the Playing XI. Babar Azam has been replaced by Kamran Ghulam, who was handed a debut following impressive performances in first-class cricket. Pakistan won the toss and opted to bat first in the second Test, where Ben Stokes is making his return following a leg injury.