February 20, 2025: The ICC Event Technical Committee has approved the inclusion of opener Imam-ul-Haq as a replacement for Fakhar Zaman in Pakistan’s squad for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. This decision comes after Zaman was ruled out of the tournament following an injury during Pakistan’s opening match against New Zealand.
Zaman suffered a muscular strain while fielding in the first over of the match on February 19 at Karachi’s National Bank Stadium. The injury occurred when New Zealand opener Will Young drove a delivery from Shaheen Afridi through the covers, evading the infield. Zaman sprinted to intercept the ball and managed to palm it back to Babar Azam for a return throw. However, Zaman immediately appeared in discomfort, clutching his lower back and signaling for a substitution. He walked off the field with the physio, but was forced to leave the match. Despite briefly returning after New Zealand lost their second wicket in the ninth over, the injury proved too serious for him to continue.
Fakhar had scored 24 off 41 balls, including four boundaries, before the injury halted his participation in the match. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) confirmed that Zaman would not be able to play the remainder of the tournament, and the board further announced that he would not be traveling with the squad to Dubai for their next match.
The ICC Event Technical Committee, consisting of Wasim Khan, Usman Wahla, Sarah Edgar, and former South African cricketer Shaun Pollock, approved the inclusion of Imam-ul-Haq in place of Zaman.
Pakistan had already suffered a similar injury setback when Saim Ayub was ruled out of the tournament after suffering an ankle fracture during a Test match against South Africa. Ayub’s injury has sidelined him until mid-March.
Fakhar, who was initially not part of Pakistan’s ODI squad, had been called up as a replacement for Ayub. He made an immediate impact with scores of 84 off 69 balls and 41 off 28 balls in his first two matches back in the team. Unfortunately, Zaman’s injury now leaves Pakistan in need of more adjustments as they head into their upcoming high-stakes clash against arch-rivals India.