"Babar Azam ka naam bhi mat lena"- Fakhar Zaman warns after recent controversy
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Pakistan opener Fakhar Zaman has hilariously refused to take Babar Azam's name during an interview recently. In a video that has gone viral on social media, Zaman was sitting with some other Pakistan international players Shaheen Afridi and Haris Rauf.
Fakhar was asked if Babar Azam can play for Lahore Qalandars in the PSL someday. Zaman gave a hilarious response and asked the interviewer not to take Babar Azam's name. All the players saw this as a light moment and shared a laugh.
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Watch: Fakhar Zaman refuses to take Babar Azam's name
Question:Can we see Babar Azam in Lahore Qalandars?
— junaiz (@dhillow_) November 13, 2024
Fakhar Zaman: Do not mention Babar's name pic.twitter.com/9H40Q0DyuD
All three players Fakhar Zaman, Shaheen Afridi, and Haris Rauf play for Lahore Qalandars in the Pakistan Super League. Shaheen Afridi is the captain of the team. Under Shaheen, Qalandars won the PSL twice (in 2022 and 2023).
Fakhar Zaman's controversy with Babar Azam's tweet
Coming to Fakhar Zaman, the Pakistan opener was involved in a controversy recently when he tweeted a post on X (formerly Twitter) in support of Babar Azam. In his post, he asked the board to support Babar instead of dropping him for his poor form. He cited the example of India not dropping Virat Kohli despite his dip in form.
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…
— Fakhar Zaman (@FakharZamanLive) October 13, 2024
PCB's reaction to Fakhar Zaman's post
His comments were not taken well by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), and he was instantly dropped from Pakistan's ODI series in Australia. PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi reasoned out Zaman's exclusion due to his controversial tweet despite being an active cricketer.
"There is an issue regarding his (Zaman's) tweet, but it is not as important as his fitness Test. There is one showcase notice pending on him. This is why we have not been named in the central contracts list," said Naqvi during Pakistan's squad selection for the Australia tour.
"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," he added.
Babar was dropped from Pakistan's Test squad for the final two Tests against England due to his poor Test form. However, he was later selected for the ODI series against Australia, where Pakistan registered a historic series win.
In the absence of Fakhar, Abdullah Shafique opened the batting alongside Saim Ayub in the ODIs against Australia. Both the batters were excellent throughout the series, thus making it even more difficult for Zaman to make a comeback.
