PAK vs AUS: "Only Impact Player We Have" - Mohammad Amir Surprised by Fakhar Zaman's Exclusion From Squad

Mohammad Amir is surprised with the exclusion of Fakhar Zaman from the Pakistan white ball squads for Australia and Zimbabwe tours, saying the batter is the "only impact player" the country has in limited overs format.

The senior batter was not only omitted from the squad for the ODI and T20I series against Australia and Zimbabwe, Fakhar was also dropped from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) central contract for the 2024-25 cycle.

PCB on Sunday (October 27) announced the white ball squads and released its latest list of centrally contracted players for the 2024-25 season, with notable exclusions sparking discussions within the cricketing community.

While he himself was excluded from the squad after making a retirement u-turn earlier this year, Amir took to social media and said that Fakhar is the only impact player that Pakistan has in white ball cricket.

"I am surprised that @FakharZamanLive is not in the team. He is the only impact player we have in white ball cricket," Amir wrote on X in reaction to Fakhar being ignored for the Australia and Zimbabwe tours.

The PCB Chief Mohsin Naqvi held a press conference in Lahore and said that Fakhar's fitness is the main reason for not giving him a central contract, while he also said the tweet questioning selectors decision did not help.

"The tweet was an issue, but the bigger matter is his fitness. There is a show-cause notice pending against him, and we will see about that. He needs to prove his fitness. His viewpoint was appreciated in the Connection Camp, and I am grateful to him for that, but you cannot publicly comment on the selection committee's decisions. However, the bigger issue remains his fitness," Naqvi said.

Fakhar Zaman missed out on the central contract for the first time in eight years. According to ESPNcricinfo, there were reported to be concerns over his fitness, though his relationship with the PCB has deteriorated of late.

Earlier, Fakhar had expressed his disbelief about talks to drop Pakistan's best ever batter Babar, adding how India backed Virat Kohli during his slump.

"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," Zaman wrote on X formerly Twitter.

"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."

The left-handed opener had also said there is enough time to avoid pressing the panic button and they should instead focus on safeguarding their key players rather than undermining them.

"There is still time to avoid pressing the panic button; we should focus on safeguarding our key players rather than undermining them," Fakhar added but fell to deaf ears as Babar was eventually dropped, and his social media activity only irked the PCB officials.