Not Dropped For Tweet Supporting Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman Reveals Reason For His Exclusion From Pakistan Team

Back in the squad for the Tri-Series and the Champions Trophy, opening batter Fakhar Zaman has put to bed speculations about his exclusion from the Pakistan white-ball team last year.

The southpaw was earlier reported to have lost his place in the squad after his support to Babar Azam, who was rested from the Test squad in October last year. Fakhar had taken to social media to tweet in support of Babar, leading to rumours that the opener will be punished.

But that wasn't the case as revealed by the batter himself during a chat with former cricketer Salman Butt on the latest episode of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Podcast. Fakhar revealed that an illness was the only reason behind his time away from the team.

"Anyone can fall sick. I was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism, which led to a weight loss of 10 kg and weakened my muscles. This was the only reason I was out of the team - there was nothing else," Fakhar said.

"I am fully fit now, but the first four to five matches in domestic cricket were tough, and I felt as if I had forgotten how to play," the 34-year-old added before he expressed that he wants to make the upcoming Champions Trophy a more memorable for himself and the team.

"I will try my best to make this Champions Trophy even more memorable for myself and the team," Fakhar, who played a pivotal role in Pakistan's triumph in 2017, said and later backed his potential opening partner Babar to also come good saying, "I believe he will perform well as an opener and make things easier for me."

Fakhar, who last featured in the 50-over format back in 2023 during the ODI World Cup, returns to the format and is expected to be a crucial part of Pakistan's top order in the Tri-Series, which is starting on Saturday (February 8) in Lahore, and also the upcoming Champions Trophy 2025.