ISLAMABAD: Fakhar Zaman is confident of returning to international cricket after eight months when Pakistan hosts next month’s Champions Trophy.
Fakhar hasn’t played international cricket since Pakistan’s first-round exit from the T20 World Cup last June and subsequently missed out on central contract with the Pakistan Cricket Board for the first time in eight years.
“People don’t know that after the T20 World Cup I got sick,” Fakhar explained to the Vipers Voices podcast as he prepared to play ILT20 for Desert Vipers in the United Arab Emirates. “I was not part of the team because of my medical condition, but now [I’m] 100 percent [sure] I will play for Pakistan.”
The veteran opening batter made headlines when he criticized the national cricket administration just before Babar Azam was controversially rested for the final two home test matches against England late last year due to his inconsistent form in red-ball cricket. The PCB issued Fakhar a show cause notice for his social media post in favor of Babar.
The post didn’t go down well with PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi, who also expressed concerns over Fakhar’s fitness.
“It cannot happen like that if selection committee is not playing one player, then other players start tweeting to express their displeasure,” Naqvi told reporters at the time. “Players are not allowed to function like this, and we will never allow that. The main issue with [Fakhar] is his fitness test, that he was not able to clear.”
In the absence of Fakhar, Pakistan won three away ODI series over the last two months, beating Australia, Zimbabwe and South Africa under the captaincy of new white-ball captain Mohammad Rizwan.
Back home, Fakhar returned to competitive cricket during the domestic Champions Cup T20 tournament last month and was the third highest-scorer with 303 runs in 10 games at a strike rate of 132.31.
“The plan was to get fully fit and play in the Champions Trophy,” Fakhar said. “I am lucky to be fit right now. I started from the Champions Trophy 2017 and that went really well for me. Now I am very excited for the next edition also.”
Fakhar had a memorable tournament in 2017 when he scored a match-winning century in the final against India.
Pakistan’s latest white-ball sensation, Saim Ayub, made two ODI centuries in South Africa before he fractured his right ankle during the second test at Cape Town last week. Ayub has been ruled out of competitive cricket for at least six weeks, putting his participation in doubt for the Champions Trophy.
The PCB flew Ayub to London from Cape Town on Monday for treatment, and Fakhar said he hoped Ayub recovers in time as Pakistan prepares to host its first major ICC tournament next month in 29 years.
“I hope he [Ayub] will recover quickly,” Fakhar said. “I was thinking to call Saim yesterday, just to talk to him about this injury. Believe me, he is such a great player that if he continues to play for the next four-five years, he will be among the top three players in the world.”
Fakhar will be playing for Desert Vipers in the ILT20 and was the top target for Tom Moody, who is director of cricket with the franchise. Fakhar said he was excited to play alongside West Indies T20 captain Sherfane Rutherford.
“He is one of the best cricketers in the T20 format and I really enjoy seeing him batting,” he said. “I am very excited to be part of this team, and I want to share the crease with him. He is one of the best players, so I am very excited to play with him.”
Fakhar Zaman confident of returning for Pakistan at the Champions Trophy
https://arab.news/mptj4
Fakhar Zaman confident of returning for Pakistan at the Champions Trophy
- Zaman criticized the PCB before Babar Azam was rested for two England Test matches
- PCB also issued a show-cause notice over Zaman’s social media post supporting Azam
Pakistan cabinet reviews private Hajj policy as mandatory pilgrim training enforced
- Cabinet sends draft Private Hajj Policy 2027–2030 to committee for further review
- Religion minister warns pilgrims who skip mandatory training will be barred from Hajj
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s federal cabinet on Wednesday reviewed proposals for stricter oversight of private Hajj operators, as authorities separately warned that pilgrims who failed to complete mandatory training would be barred from performing Hajj next year.
The cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, was briefed on a draft Private Hajj Policy for 2027–2030, which includes third-party registration and scrutiny of private Hajj operator companies, according to a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office.
“The Federal Cabinet directed that the draft Private Hajj Policy 2027–2030, presented by the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony regarding third-party registration and scrutiny of private Hajj operators’ companies, be referred to the Hajj Policy Committee for further deliberation in light of the views of Cabinet members,” the prime minister’s office said in a statement.
The development comes as Religious Affairs Minister Sardar Muhammad Yousaf said on Wednesday pilgrims who failed to attend both phases of mandatory Hajj training would not be allowed to perform the pilgrimage.
“Pilgrims who do not complete mandatory Hajj training will be barred from performing Hajj,” the ministry quoted Yousaf as saying during a training workshop in Islamabad.
Around 120,000 pilgrims are currently undergoing training at 200 locations nationwide, with the second phase scheduled to begin after Ramadan. The training aims to familiarize pilgrims with Saudi laws, Hajj rituals and safety protocols to prevent accidents in crowded areas.
Saudi Arabia has allocated 179,210 pilgrims to Pakistan for Hajj 2026, including about 118,000 seats under the government scheme, while the remainder will be handled by private tour operators.
Under Pakistan’s government Hajj package, the estimated cost ranges from Rs1.15 million to Rs1.25 million ($4,049.93 to $4,236), subject to final agreements with service providers.
