PCB Seeks Explanation from Fakhar Zaman After Supportive Tweet

Pakistan opener Fakhar Zaman has broken his silence on a tweet he posted in support of teammate Babar Azam, which led to him being dropped from the central contracts list by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). Zaman's tweet, made in October, was seen as a breach of the board's selection directives, but he claims it was directed at journalists and former cricketers peddling negative stories about Babar.

Fakhar Zaman stated that the tweet was taken out of context and portrayed as criticism of the board, while he was indeed defending Babar from what he perceived as unfair criticism. "I didn't criticize the board's decision," Zaman pointed out in his clarification. "I was only speaking up for Babar, who is a great player."

The controversy comes on the heels of Babar Azam being dropped from the final two Tests against England. Zaman had expressed his own disappointment with PCB's decision process, calling it unfair and targeting those who felt the decision was right. Following the tweet, the PCB issued a show-cause notice to Zaman for using "hurtful" language on social media. Zimmermann looked exhausted and struggled in these two matches, failing to impress with the bat and ultimately losing his spot in the team. Initially saying he was ill, his PCB suffered his form with fatigue and not being in top form.

The PCB also said that Fakhar Zaman was omitted from the 2024-25 central contract list after he was issued a show-cause notice for his 'unprofessional social media post' but Fakhar himself said he had faced criticism unfairly and experienced health problems.

Fakhar Zaman's clarification comes as an opportunity to set the record straight about the whole situation, which ultimately led to the notable Pakistan cricketer being left out of the central contracts' list.