RIFT in Pakistan cricket team? Fkhar Zaman clarifies controversial tweet on Babar Azam

New Delhi: Pakistan’s star batter Fakhar Zaman has clarified his stance on the central contract exclusion. Fakhar was excluded from the Pakistan’s Central Board contract after a controversial tween backing Babar Azam during the side’s home Test series against England.

Before the second Test against England, the cricket community was abuzz with speculation about Babar’s potential exit from the Test team. Fakhar voiced out his backing for the ex-captain, noting that Babar’s removal could send a discouraging signal to other Test players. The southpaw cricketer subtly invoked Virat Kohli in his tweet, highlighting the common difficulties encountered by both sportsmen.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) notably expressed their displeasure with a tweet, which was followed by a significant decision after the England Test series concluded – Fakhar Zaman was taken off the central contract list. During a chat on PAK TV, in the chilly month of December, Fakhar didn’t hold back as he cleared the air about his intentions. He asserted that his words were not meant to cast the Pakistan Cricket Board in a negative light.

Fakhar, maintained that his tweet was set out in the open domain before Babar was ruled out, purely expressing his viewpoint as a fellow player. Confronted with any remorse about his decision, Fakhar accepts that in hindsight, he probably should have stayed out of the fray.

“I thought about it later and felt that I should not have tweeted. But people got the tweet completely wrong. They thought that I was criticising the decision of the board, but this is 100 per cent wrong. If you see the timing of the tweet, it was done before the board made its decision. I saw in the news for 2-3 days that journalists and former players were criticising him (Babar Azam). And I thought to myself, Babar has done so much for the team, but they still wanted him to be dropped,” Fakhar said in the interview.

“I saw that and tweeted my opinion out. But I understand that no one is bigger than the board. I will even tell my junior cricketers that however big you become, you are not bigger than the board and you should not be criticising them during your playing days. But ya, my clarification is that I made my tweet before the team was announced,” he further added.

Fakhar’s post on social media spurred diverse responses from both followers and previous players. His honesty was admired by some, while others perceived it as inappropriate, especially for a still actively engaging player, to voice such opinions.

The tweet didn’t go down well with the PCB, who saw it as an unwarranted criticism of their organization. Mohsin Naqvi, the head of PCB, sent a clear signal that the social media post contributed significantly to Fakhar not being offered the central contract.

Mohsin Naqvi said that apart from the tweet issue, Fakhar was not up to the mark with his fitness, which was the main reason behind dropping the player from the contact.

“Tweet was one issue, but the bigger matter was that of fitness. There is a show-cause notice pending against him, and we will see about that. He would need to prove his fitness, his point of view was valued in the Connection Camp and I am very thankful to him for that but you cannot go around commenting on the selection committee over selection calls. But ya, the bigger issue is of selection,” Mohsin Naqvi said in the press conference while announcing fresh contracts.

On Sunday, October 27, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) revealed the roster of cricketers contracted for the 2024-25 season. A wave of new, young players were pleasantly surprised with their first contract, although the list was noticeably missing a few seasoned players.

Among them was Fakhar Zaman, who was earlier a part of Category B in the central contracts for the previous season.