Fakhar Zaman has set his sights on the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, having high hopes of seeing himself in the Pakistan team. The attacking southpaw last played an ODI for Pakistan at the World Cup 2023 in India. The upcoming ICC mega event will be co-hosted by Pakistan, with Team India playing all their games in Dubai.
Fakhar Zaman at ICC Champions Trophy soon?
Speaking on the Vipers Voices podcast, the 34-year-old expressed unwavering belief in his comeback journey. “A 100%, I will play for Pakistan (again),” Fakhar affirmed. “Actually, many people do not know about that, but after the T20 World Cup I got sick and because of the medical condition I was not fit, so I was not a part of the team.”
Fakhar’s absence from the national setup has been felt since Pakistan’s early exit from the 2024 T20 World Cup. His last appearance in an ODI came during the 2023 World Cup. Now fully recovered, Fakhar is gearing up to don the green jersey once again. “But now I [have] recovered 100%, and you will see me in the next white-ball series which Pakistan play,” he added.
ICC Champions Trophy: A special tournament for Fakhar
Fakhar’s participation in the ICC Champions Trophy goes back to his career-defining century against India in the 2017 final at The Oval. Reflecting on that moment, he said, “My plan has been around the Champions Trophy. I did not play in the Australia tour or in the South Africa tour, so my whole plan was just to play in the Champions Trophy, to make myself available and to be fully fit for the tournament.” Having spoken to selectors and the coaching staff, Fakhar believes he will play a key role in the tournament. “I started from the Champions Trophy 2017 and that went really well for me and now I am very excited for the next edition also,” he said.
Fakhar also lauded young sensation Saim Ayub, who has had a stellar start to his ODI career. “Believe me, he is such a great player that if he continues to play for the next four to five years, he will be at the top and he will be amongst the top three players in the world,” Fakhar remarked. But now Ayub out possibly missing the initial stages of the ICC Champions Trophy, Fakhar might be the best option for the defending champions.
However, with Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, and Saim Ayub already anchoring Pakistan’s top order, Fakhar may need to adjust his position in the batting lineup. “If the team has faith in me and they want me to bat at number four or five, that totally makes sense, because for me the team is always first,” he stated, before reiterating his preference to open the innings.
