Fakhar's selection for Aus tour in jeopardy

Dashing batsman Fakhar Zaman's selection for the upcoming tour of Australia appears to be in jeopardy due to ongoing knee problems, which caused him to fail his recent fitness test.

Additionally, a disciplinary action is currently being taken against him, and some senior board members are reportedly unhappy with him.

Fakhar is considered one of Pakistan's most aggressive modern-day batters, having even scored a double century in One-Day Internationals. However, his outspoken nature has landed him in trouble recently.

According to sources, his selection for the Australia tour is now highly unlikely. Fakhar recently failed a fitness test upon his return from a long trip back from the West Indies, where he was tasked with completing a 2-kilometer run in 8 minutes - a challenge he could not meet.

Sources have revealed that Fakhar is currently dealing with knee issues. Although he is fit to play matches and has been participating in domestic cricket, placing additional strain on his knee could lead to a serious injury.

While head of selectors Aaqib Javed has relaxed the fitness standards for team selection, Fakhar's candid remarks during the recent connection camp regarding his No Objection Certificate (NOC) did not sit well with certain top board officials (excluding the chairman).

Before the squad's announcement for the second Test against England, Fakhar had tweeted in support of Babar Azam, but shortly afterwards, it was announced that the star batter had been dropped. This timing gave the impression that Fakhar had criticised the decision. As a result, Fakhar was issued a show-cause notice and given until Monday to respond.

Some former cricketers had suggested that Fakhar be handed the white-ball captaincy, but now even his place in the team is not guaranteed.

It is worth noting that as of Thursday night, Salman Ali Agha was the favorite to take over the white-ball captaincy, but now Mohammad Rizwan has emerged as the frontrunner in the race for leadership.

Amir defends Babar

Pakistan's fast bowler Mohammad Amir has strongly defended former captain Babar Azam, calling on fans to stop associating the team's victory with Babar's absence. He emphasized that Pakistan's recent win was the result of strategic play rather than the absence of key players.

Taking to X (formerly known as Twitter), Amir stated, "Please stop with these petty talks that Babar wasn't in the team, that is why we won. We won because of better strategy and took advantage of playing on home ground."

He made it clear that the team's success should not be linked to the absence of players like Babar, Naseem Shah, or Shaheen Afridi.

Amir also urged fans to refrain from making personal attacks on players, saying, "Please don't get personal with your players. Criticize their performance, but avoid personal remarks."

The second Test match between Pakistan and England in Multan saw Babar Azam, along with Naseem Shah and Shaheen Afridi, excluded from the squad.