Why Fakhar Zaman dropped from the Central Contract in 2024/25?

Ankeet Bhandari
Ankeet Bhandari
5 Min Read
Why Fakhar Zaman dropped from the Central Contract
Image credit: Pakistan Cricket Board

Fakhar Zaman, who has been fabulous for Pakistan in the ODI World Cup 2023, has been removed from Pakistan’s Central Contract.

The tweet by Fakhar Zaman in support of Babar after he was dropped from the Pakistan Test squad during the England series was the reason he was sidelined by the Chief Selector, as confirmed by Mohsin Naqvi in the press conference held to announce the White Ball captain of Pakistan.

Mohsin Naqvi further added, “It cannot happen like that if the selection committee is not playing one player, then the other players start tweeting to express their displeasure. Players are not allowed to function like this, and we will never allow that. The main issue with him is his fitness Test, which he was not able to clear.”

Also Read: Suzie Bates completed her 35th half-century against India

Here’s what Fakhar Zaman said in support of Babar Azam.

Pakistan Cricket Board announced their new central contract of cricketers for July 2024 to June 2025 on October 27 with an entirely new leader in white-ball cricket, Mohammad Rizwan, appointed as the skipper of white-ball cricket.

Many young boys are contracted by the Pakistan Cricket team on their new contract, as a total of 25 players are contracted, where players are allotted four different categories.

The central contract sees Fakhar Zaman not getting retained in the 25-player list, which seems quite uncertain and unexpected for the fans.

Fakhar Zaman is sidelined by the Pakistan Cricket Board for 2024-2025 aside from knowing the fact Fakhar Zaman was the Player of the Match in the last 2 ODI Pakistan won that too during the World Cup 2023.

If we look over his stats, he is the Pakistan player with the most Player of the Match awards in the ICC tournaments. He can perform in crunch situations and create an impact when Pakistan needs most of him.

Also Read: Afg A vs SL A match details and predictions.

Fakhar Zaman’s Last 3 ODI Match Stats

Fakhar Zaman was last given a chance in the team during the 2023 World Cup in the final 3 matches, where he performed well under pressure in crunch situations. Here are his stats of the last 3 matches.

vs TeamsRunsBallsFoursSixesStrike Rate
New Zealand12681811155.56
Bangladesh 817437109.46
England1911.11
Fakhar Zaman’s last 3 matches stats during ODI World Cup 2023

Fakhr Zaman ODI Stats in 2023/2024

According to ESPN Cricinfo Here are the stats of the Fakhar Zaman in 2023/2024.

Innings Played 19
Runs Scored864
Highest Run180
Average50.90
Strike Rate93.20
Centuries04
Half-centuries02
Fours26
Sixes90
Fakhar Zaman’s stats in 2023 /2024 in ODIs

Here are the 25 players contracted by the Pakistan Cricket Board for international cricket in 2024/2025, effective from July 1, 2024, to June 1, 2025.

A total of 3 players are demoted to downgrade, where Shaheen Sha Afridi is demoted to Grade B from Garde A, while Haris Rauf and Shadab Khan are demoted to Category C from Category B.

Abrar Ahmad, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, and Saud Shakeel are promoted to Category C from Category D, while 2 newly contracted players, Noman Ali and Sajid Khan, are directly placed in Category C.

While all the players in Group D are newly contracted and added to Category D.

Category A

  1. Babar Azam
  2. Mohammad Rizwan

Category B

  1. Shaheen Afridi,
  2. Naseem Shah,
  3. Shan Masood

Category C

  1. Abdullah Shafique
  2. Abrar Ahmed, Shadab Khan
  3. Sajid Khan
  4. Saud Shakeel
  5. Noman Ali
  6. Salman Ali Agha
  7. Haris Rauf
  8. Saim Ayub

Category D

  1. Aamer Jamal
  2. M Wasim Jr.
  3. M Hurraira
  4. Mir Hamza
  5. Khurram Shehzad
  6. M Ali
  7. Usman Khan
  8. Irfan Niazi
  9. Haseebullah
  10. Abbas Afridi
  11. Kamran Ghulam.

Not Retained

  1. Fakhar Zaman
  2. Imam-ul Haq
  3. Imad Wasim
  4. Mohammad Nawaz
  5. Faheem Ashraf’
  6. Hasan ALI
  7. Iftikhar Ahmed
  8. Mohammad Harris
  9. Usama Mir
  10. Zaman Khan
  11. Sarfaraz Ahmad
  12. Shahnawaz Dahani

What’s your opinion on the exclusion of Fakhar Zaman from the central contract? Comment below…

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Posted by Ankeet Bhandari
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Ankeet Bhandari is the founder and CEO of the website Update Public also also a dedicated sports journalist with expertise in covering the latest updates in football, cricket, and other major sports. His strong grasp of the sports world and knack for engaging storytelling allow him to provide timely news, match analysis, and player insights. With a reputation for accuracy and an energetic style, Ankeet keeps fans informed and connected to the dynamic world of sports through us at Update Public.
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