Former Pakistan opening batter Ahmed Shehzad has voiced strong criticism of Fakhar Zaman’s performance, questioning the left-hander’s role and impact in T20 Internationals (T20Is) following Pakistan’s disappointing run in the Asia Cup.
Pakistan endured three heavy defeats against arch-rivals India, including one in the tournament final, sparking widespread debate over player form and team selection.
Shehzad acknowledged Fakhar’s success in One Day Internationals (ODIs) but argued that his T20 record remains underwhelming.
“Fakhar Zaman won us a match in the Champions Trophy. He performs well in ODIs, but what is his status in T20s?” Shehzad asked during a discussion.
Drawing comparisons with Babar Azam, Shehzad pointed out how the media highlights selective statistics.
“When Babar’s positive stats are shown, everyone praises him. But when his negative stats appear, people act as if they’ve never seen such figures before,” he said.
“Similarly, for Fakhar Zaman, people say he wins matches when he plays — but tell me, Fakhar has been playing T20s for 10 years; when will he perform?”
Shehzad went on to allege that favoritism and PSL franchise influence play a significant role in player backing within the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).
“Here, things run on likes and dislikes — which PSL team a player belongs to and how much influence that team has in PCB,” he remarked.
Discussing Fakhar’s T20 stats, Shehzad highlighted that the opener’s average stands around 20, with a strike rate of 127, questioning his long-term role.
“He cannot settle as an opener, nor can he settle at number four. The narrative is that when he goes, he’ll win the game — but the question is, when will he go and actually do it?” Shehzad concluded.
