LAHORE: Pakistan opener Fakhar Zaman is likely to escape with a reprimand for criticising the country’s cricket board ahead of the squad announcement, where it planned to drop former skipper Babar Azam for the second and third Tests against England, the Press Trust of India (PTI) news agency reported on Monday.

Babar, along with senior players Sarfraz Ahmed, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah, got eventually dropped for the two matches days after Fakhar expressed his displeasure on social media.

Fakhar was issued a show-cause notice by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) after he tweeted his views where he compared Babar’s run drought with India’s Virat Kohli, who went through a lean patch between 2020 and late 2022.

England are touring Pakistan for three Tests, with the hosts levelling the series in the second Test after the side, led by Ben Stokes, won the opener in Multan.

Fakhar was sent a show-cause notice and asked why disciplinary action should not be taken against him as he had clearly breached a clause of his central contract by criticising the PCB and its selection policy.

A source in the board told PTI that Fakhar had sent in his reply before the October 21 deadline and explained he had only spoken in favour of a team-mate and colleague and he had no intention of challenging the authority of the PCB.

“Fakhar has said that he has utmost respect for the PCB as it is his institution which employs him and runs the sport in Pakistan,” the source added.

Published in Dawn, October 22nd, 2024