ISLAMABAD: Fakhar Zaman will not be joining the national team in Dubai for the ICC Champions Trophy after sustaining an injury during the historic match against New Zealand, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced on Thursday.
The PCB confirmed that Zaman would miss the tournament and would not travel with the team to Dubai. The ICC is expected to provide additional updates as needed. Pakistan and India are set to play their match in Dubai on February 23 (Sunday).
The decision comes after Zaman sustained an injury while fielding during Pakistan’s match against New Zealand at Karachi’s National Stadium on Wednesday.
Pakistan’s next match is a highly anticipated clash against India on Sunday in Dubai. The match carries extra significance after India opted not to travel to Pakistan for their scheduled games in the tournament.
In their opening match of the ICC Champions Trophy, Pakistan fell short of chasing New Zealand’s target of 321 runs, ending their innings at 260 all out.
Zaman, a standout performer in Pakistan’s 2017 Champions Trophy win, was unable to open the innings due to his injury. Part-time openers Saud Shakeel and Babar Azam began the chase, while Zaman came in at the fourth wicket. However, his limited mobility due to the injury hindered his ability to take singles, and he was dismissed for 24 off 41 balls.
The match, played at a sold-out National Bank Stadium in Karachi, marked the venue’s first ICC tournament game since 1996, creating an electrifying atmosphere.
Pakistan struggled throughout their innings, accumulating 152 dot balls, which significantly impacted their strike rotation and ultimately their ability to chase the target successfully.
