"Even a vegetable seller will say that Fakhar is the best opener" - Basit Ali on Pakistan's veteran top-order batter
Former Pakistani cricketer Basit Ali pointed out how Fakhar Zaman sacrificed his opening spot for Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan in the Men in Green's white-ball teams. He opined that the southpaw gave up his preferred position despite being the best T20I opener in the country.
Fakhar has come under the limelight for posting a tweet in support of Babar. He emphasized that the Pakistani team management should not think about the star batter and should instead back him amid the ongoing rut.
The aftermath of Fakhar's tweet resulted in him losing Pakistan's central contract for the first time in eight years. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi confirmed that the seasoned campaigner was overlooked due to the aforementioned social media post and fitness issues.
Basit emphasized that Fakhar remains the best T20 opener in Pakistan. In a video shared on his YouTube channel, the cricketer-turned-expert said (from 2:38):
"Fakhar Zaman is a player who sacrificed his batting position for Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan. Pakistan don't have a better opener than him in T20s. Even a vegetable seller will say that Fakhar is the best opener. He changed his batting position for the sake of the country."
Fakhar was last seen in action during the 2024 T20 World Cup. According to a report from Cricket Pakistan, the 34-year-old recently failed a fitness test and is dealing with knee issues.
"A lot of people have tweeted in the past" - Basit Ali on Fakhar Zaman losing central contract over a social media post
Basit Ali suggested that while Fakhar was reprimanded for his tweet, many players have escaped punishments for similar posts over the last few years. He remarked in the aforementioned video (from 4:14):
"He broke a law with his tweet. However, a lot of people have tweeted in the past. Fakhar isn't the only one. Why are you not punishing the other players? I always say that everyone should get the same treatment. When nothing happened to the other players, you should have given some margin to Fakhar as well."
Pakistan are set to tour Australia for a white-ball series. The two sides will compete in three ODIs and as many T20Is. Mohammad Rizwan has been appointed as Pakistan's new captain in limited-overs cricket. Meanwhile, red-ball coach Jason Gillespie has been named as the interim coach for the Australia tour following Gary Kirsten's resignation.