Pakistan opening batter Fakhar Zaman seems to have landed in trouble as his tweet after Babar Azam's axing has left the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) disgruntled. According to media reports that emerged on October 14 (Monday), the PCB has given the left-hander a week or until October 21 to respond to their showcause notice.
With the selectors making a radical change after Pakistan's historic innings defeat by dropping Babar Azam, Shaheen Shah Afridi, and Naseem Shah, there were polarising views from the fans. Zaman, who has played alongside Babar across formats on numerous occasions, wrote how the Indian selectors persisted with Kohli during his rough patch between 2020-2022.
The veteran wrote on X:
"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. 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. There is still time to avoid pressing the panic button; we should focus on safeguarding our key players rather than undermining them."
"This was the best time to give Babar a rest" - Azhar Mahmood
Speaking at a presser on Monday, Pakistan assistant coach Azhar Mahmood revealed that their packed international schedule in the next few months prompted them to rest Babar. He explained, as quoted by India Today:
"Babar is our No.1 player. There is no question about that. His technique and ability. If you look at Pakistan's FTP, there's a lot of cricket coming up. So, because of that, the selection committee decided that this was the best time to give Babar a rest. After that, we have to go to Australia and Zimbabwe and there is a South Africa tour as well. So that's important."
