Fakhar Zaman's career destroyed by 'Babar Azam' tweet, confirms PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi has confirmed that the tweet posted by the star batter Fakhar Zaman in support of the former captain Babar Azam played a key role in the destruction of his career.

Fakhar Zaman was left out of the newly announced list of the centrally contracted players of the Pakistan National Cricket Team. Also, he was dropped from the white-ball squad for the Australia and Zimbabwe tours.

Fakhar Zaman lost his central contract

On Sunday, October 27, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced the revised central contracts for the Pakistan men's cricket team.

Fakhar Zaman was removed from the list after slamming the Pakistan Cricket Board for dropping Babar Azam from the squad for the second and third Test matches against the England National Cricket Team.

In his tweet, which was posted on October 13, Fakhar Zaman expressed his concerns about Babar Azam being dropped. He urged PCB to avoid pressing the panic button by dropping Babar and even compared his scenario with Virat Kohli, who was not dropped by Indian selectors during his lean patch.

This tweet led to the Pakistan Cricket Board issuing him a show-cause notice. Also, the relationship between the board and the player deteriorated, which led to Fakhar losing his central contract for the first time in eight years.

Fakhar Zaman, who was earlier a part of Category B in the central contracts, last played for Pakistan during the T20 World Cup 2024 and now his international cricket career is under serious threat.

But it's unacceptable for a player to tweet against the selection committee - Mohsin Naqvi

Speaking at a press conference where Mohammad Rizwan and Salman Ali Agha were named as the new captain and vice-captain of the Pakistan National Cricket Team in white-ball cricket, the PCB chairman confirmed that Fakhar Zaman's tweet is indeed a major problem for them.

Mohsin Naqvi said that 'it's unacceptable' for a player to voice concerns about the decisions made by a selection committee, and they will always remain strict in such matters. However, the PCB chief also made it clear that Fakhar's failure in the fitness test was also a key reason behind his omission. Naqvi elaborated:

"The tweet [he posted] is an issue for us. It doesn't matter as much as him failing his fitness test though. We have to make a decision over his show-cause notice, and after that he has to pass his fitness test. That's why he isn't in. He spoke very well at the connection camp, and it was him raising his voice that has led us to reform our international department. I appreciate that. But it's unacceptable for a player to tweet against the selection committee. That is not permitted, and it will never be permitted."

I want to extend my congratulations to Mohammad Rizwan - Mohsin Naqvi

Mohsin Naqvi also congratulated Mohammad Rizwan on his appointment as white-ball skipper and expressed confidence in his leadership abilities. He elaborated:

“I want to extend my congratulations to Mohammad Rizwan on his appointment as Pakistan’s white-ball captain. I am confident that Rizwan’s leadership qualities, underpinned by his deep commitment and passion for the game, will help shape this talented team into a consistently successful unit.

“Rizwan has earned the respect of his peers and colleagues through his dedication and positive attitude, and I have no doubt that these qualities, combined with his game knowledge and performance, will inspire the next generation of Pakistan cricketers."