Dharshini RDA 
The Pakistan white-ball captain, Mohammad Rizwan, has spoken about Fakhar Zaman’s exclusion from the national team, saying that the decision was not due to personal prejudice, but rather health issues.
The statement by Rizwan was made in a video released by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) in response to speculation surrounding Zaman’s exclusion from the national team for the upcoming tour of South Africa.
Muhammad Rizwan explains in the video that Fakahar Zaman, despite being a key player for Pakistan, has been left out of the team due to ‘illness’.
‘There is nothing personal about Fakhar Zaman’s exclusion,’ said Rizwan, adding that the 32-year-old’s absence was not due to a fitness problem or failure in a fitness test.
On the contrary, Rizwan said that Zaman was suffering from a viral fever which had prevented him from taking part in the team.
Meanwhile, Fakhar Zaman, who is currently playing for Markhors in the Champions T20 Cup, has responded to rumours about his fitness.
Responding to the speculation, Zaman said that he was fit and that his participation in the tournament proved that he was ready for the game.
Fakhar, who has been a key player for Pakistan in recent years, was excluded from the country’s white-ball squads during recent tours of Australia and Zimbabwe.
Zaman has also been excluded from the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) central contracts for the first time in eight years. PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi confirmed that Zaman’s fitness issues and controversial comments on social media played a part in the decision.
Naqvi addressed the issue at a recent press conference, acknowledging that Zaman’s public criticism of the selection committee’s decision to remove Babar Azam from the Test squad was a contributing factor. However, he stressed that Zaman’s failure in the fitness test was the main reason for his exclusion.
