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Fakhar Zaman ruled out of the tour to New Zealand

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Batsman Fakhar Zaman has been ruled out of the tour to New Zealand. Fakhar is suffering from fever and has not recovered in time for the Pakistan squad’s departure for the tour.

The decision to withdraw Fakhar from the tour was made keeping the health of the rest of the squad members as a top priority.

Fakhar was isolated in the team hotel in Lahore as soon as his condition was detected; the PCB medical panel is in touch with Fakhar.

Team Doctor Dr Sohail Saleem: “Fakhar’s covid test report was received on Saturday which came out negative but today he picked up fever. As soon as his condition was reported, he was isolated from the rest of the squad in the team hotel. We are constantly monitoring his condition and remain hopeful of his quick recovery; however he is not fit to travel with the squad and as such has been withdrawn from the touring party.”

The Pakistan and Pakistan Shaheens squad will depart for New Zealand from Lahore in the wee hours of Monday morning.
 
Big chance for an opener to step up and seal his spot!
 
No replacement named as yet by PCB.
 
Probably the best thing that could have happened to him! He's in horrid form and New Zealand isn't going to be the place to rediscover it, particularly on the back of failures against Zim at home.

This might just keep his career alive for another series or two in which time he could get his mojo back.
 
Probably a good thing for him . Though he did perform well in New Zealand . Faster wickets seem to suit his style . I don’t think he was a certain starter for the t20s.

Gives the management the chance to test Abdullah Shafique for 3 games .
 
GreenKhan said:
Probably a good thing for him . Though he did perform well in New Zealand . Faster wickets seem to suit his style . I don’t think he was a certain starter for the t20s.

Gives the management the chance to test Abdullah Shafique for 3 games .
Click to expand...

Trent Boult will Kill Abdullah Shafique and Haider Ali with his late inswing.
 
34 instead of 35 players going so no need to really have an extra player on board as a replacement.
 
I wish the lad well, but this could actually be a blessing in disguise for him.
 
Rana said:
They will have to open with Abid Ali, Shan Masood and Imam ul Haq in T20s they need an opener
Click to expand...
Am Pretty sure we will open with Babar and Abdullah, with Haidar at 3 and Hafeez at 4. Don't see how you would think that Imam, Abid and Shan would be needed.
 
Zeeshan malik had a very good national t20 cup .obviously he should be preferred if they cannot play 2 similar openers in babar/abdullah shafiq
 
Ideally Sajid khan or saud shakeel merit a place in squad .Won't mind if one of them is picked

We already have 4 openers for t20i
Zeeshan babar
A.shafiq babar
Haider ali babar
Imam babar
 
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Haider ali is also opener so won't mind if he open and hussain talat pick number 3 spot
Babar
Haider
Husain talat
Hafeez
 
Just realise asad shafiq might make a grand comeback .Misbah is capable of doing it
 
saeed5646 said:
Haider ali is also opener so won't mind if he open and hussain talat pick number 3 spot
Babar
Haider
Husain talat
Hafeez
Click to expand...

Bro there is no point of just throwing guys in front of Trent Boult and Southee for the sake of it. They will swing the ball at speed and these kids are not good enough to deal with that new ball if that’s the case. Wouldn’t be surprised if Imam ul Haq is in our T20i XI now
 
Rana said:
Bro there is no point of just throwing guys in front of Trent Boult and Southee for the sake of it. They will swing the ball at speed and these kids are not good enough to deal with that new ball if that’s the case. Wouldn’t be surprised if Imam ul Haq is in our T20i XI now
Click to expand...

Lets say we ignore haider ali u19 and first class Numbers where he was opening the batting .No 3 is borderline opening spot so not too sure why shouldn't haider open .This is obvious and right decision to make and haider has numbers to prove he can be long term prospect for opening .

If boult is on song it won't matter if it is imam or haider .In t20i safety first option is useless(imam& babar won't be great opening pair for t20i)
 
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Deserving players
Saud Shakeel
Hussain Talat
Agha Salman
Omair Bin Yousaf
 
I am pretty sure no replacement...they fly tomorrow so hardly time for visas..
 
I'm pretty sure Sami Aslam would've been in the running as a replacement.... instead he'll be serving burgers in a year 😂
 
Hate to say it, but probably a blessing in disguise for both parties involved, including his likely replacements, haider ali and shafique.
 
FZ is not a good player anymore but I, along with many others will forever be grateful for that innings that gave Ind a drubbing of a lifetime. But its time to move on.
 
Sharjeel Khan has had no contact yet from PCB regarding replacing Fakhar Zaman for the tour of New Zealand.
 
Hussain Talat could be tried in as an opener though.
In NZ, opener needs to just clear the infield to succeed in t20s. With faster pitches and smaller grounds, could be easier for guys who don't have the power to go big.
Even Ahmed Shehzad had a good tour there last time for his standards.
Shehzad's cross batted hoicks proved quite successful there.

Imam and Shan Masood because of lack of their shots may still not be good options there in t20is atleast.
 
Plenty of players in the 34 man party to cover , ideally Haidar to open with Imam odi & with Babar in t20
 
Pakistan should just promote from within, you've already got a massive squad named for this very purpose.

Give Zeeshan Malik a go.
 
Zeeshan Malik is no brainer- Other Hackless tullas or Accumulaters have no business.
 
Logic tells me Abdullah Shafique should open with Babar . He opened in the last match on his debut with Fakhar and played a neat little innings. With fakhar injured and Babar being the established opener it is the most logical move .

Those saying the swinging ball etc this is international cricket . He’s been selected on the basis of a very few matches , it’s a bold selection but he should be starting the t20 series now against New Zealand and we need to be consistent with our selections .
 
I just did a CTRL F and searched for ‘blessing in disguise’ in the thread and to my surprise I couldnt find it.
 
This is good for Fakhar. It's painfully obvious that T20s aren't his game. He should be kept in the team for ODIs only where he actually has a good record.
 
Wish him a speedy recovery. Hopefully it isn't COVID-19.

As for a replacement, why does Sharjeel keep coming up? The guy scored a FC century after 6 years against depleted FC teams (due to national duty call ups) and suddenly he's the next coming? Keep the squad selected and let a younger player step up.
 
Hopefully there is a replacement announced or we will be opening with Abid/Imam in a T20 match.
 
I don’t think there will be a replacement. If there will be, it won’t be a backup opener as they already have Zeeshan Malik, Abdullah Shafique, Haider Ali, etc.

They might fit Saud Shakeel in?

Though I suspect due to covid restrictions it will remain a 34 member squad.
 
Saud couldn't do any more surely. He's the right age, performing well and has the right temperament. At the very least get him on the plane and integrate him into the squad. There's nothing much to learn bashing C grade bowling in Pakistan.
 
Time for Shehzad to be back. Guy has an excellent record in NZ. :afridi
 
He shouldn't have been selected in first.no replacement is needed.Abdullah shafiq should be given all three games.
 
If fakhar cant make it abdullah should take his position but Haider and babar should open with abdullah at 3
 
hitthestump said:
Saud couldn't do any more surely. He's the right age, performing well and has the right temperament. At the very least get him on the plane and integrate him into the squad. There's nothing much to learn bashing C grade bowling in Pakistan.
Click to expand...

Yeah if your looking to get 130 then yes play him abdullah should play at 3
 
GreenKhan said:
Logic tells me Abdullah Shafique should open with Babar . He opened in the last match on his debut with Fakhar and played a neat little innings. With fakhar injured and Babar being the established opener it is the most logical move .

Those saying the swinging ball etc this is international cricket . He’s been selected on the basis of a very few matches , it’s a bold selection but he should be starting the t20 series now against New Zealand and we need to be consistent with our selections .
Click to expand...

I think babar should open with haider and abdullah at 3.haider can be the aggressor whilst babar can play his normal game
 
Rana said:
They will have to open with Abid Ali, Shan Masood and Imam ul Haq in T20s they need an opener
Click to expand...

You already have abdullah haider babar zeeshan malik who can open .I would play abdullah at 3 and Haiderat oppening we gotta be consitant with selection
 
I think this is a big loss. Fakhar is actually very good in fast pitches when compared to slower wickets in the sub-continent. Hopefully Abdullah Shafiq or other openers shine and take this opportunity.
 
saeed5646 said:
Lets say we ignore haider ali u19 and first class Numbers where he was opening the batting .No 3 is borderline opening spot so not too sure why shouldn't haider open .This is obvious and right decision to make and haider has numbers to prove he can be long term prospect for opening .

If boult is on song it won't matter if it is imam or haider .In t20i safety first option is useless(imam& babar won't be great opening pair for t20i)
Click to expand...

Sometimes you got to play fire with fire like you stated doesnt matter of its haider or imaam.i would play Haider and babar to
 
shamaan said:
I think babar should open with haider and abdullah at 3.haider can be the aggressor whilst babar can play his normal game
Click to expand...

That’s a fair point. However the problem is that if Shafique bats at 3 and fails then Misbah and co will be blamed for batting him in the wrong position !

The reality is that he has only played 15 senior matches in total. I can not recall ever in my life that a Pakistani batsman with only a handful of match’s being selected for the senior team and to top it of also being given a game .

Top stuff!
 
Rana said:
Trent Boult will Kill Abdullah Shafique and Haider Ali with his late inswing.
Click to expand...

Shafique has a tighter technique he might survive. Haider will swipe across the line and sky one or get bowled/lbw.
 
Career saving fever by Fakhar!!!! Had he been on the plane and played, his career would've been over. Now his alternative will invariably fail and by token of being on the bench, Fakhar will be claimed as the answer to the opening problem.
 
GreenKhan said:
That’s a fair point. However the problem is that if Shafique bats at 3 and fails then Misbah and co will be blamed for batting him in the wrong position !

The reality is that he has only played 15 senior matches in total. I can not recall ever in my life that a Pakistani batsman with only a handful of match’s being selected for the senior team and to top it of also being given a game .

Top stuff!
Click to expand...

Yes 100 percent he should played a domestic season or should have played vs Zimbabwe to see were hes at.i only want him at 3 becouse I think hes similar to babar in strike rate we need someone who can take the attack to the bowlers fire with fire.new Zealand is a tough place to go I would rather we gave a chance in t20s than imaam or shan masood.if he does play in the main squad for the t20s I think he will miss out playing in the shaheens as I think they clash so they will have to choose were to prioritise
 
Fakhar has tested negative for Covid-19 and is now heading back to Mardan from Lahore
 
He was no longer an Auto-pick in starting 11, so just gives another player a chance to open with Babar.
 
I am shocked that not many people are talking about this. Looks like they do not understand what has happened.

This right here is the source of the humiliation that Pakistan is going through in New Zealand right now.

Fakhar showed COVID symptoms but tested negative, most probably false negative.

He was isolated from the squad on 22nd November because he started to show COVID symptoms somewhere around 20-21 November, while the rest of the players boarded the flight to New Zealand on 23rd November.

The issue here is not the false negative result. False negative results happen everywhere, but how you manage a false negative result is what matters.

PCB isolated Fakhar alone and wrongly assumed that he didn’t have COVID - and they didn’t transmit COVID to others - since he tested negative.

As a result, he transmitted the virus to several members of the squad who boarded the plane and who were tested again only when they landed in New Zealand.

The sensible thing to do would have been to isolate not only Fakhar but also the entire squad and then re-test them again before leaving for New Zealand.

Had PCB done that, this embarrassment would have been avoided.

PCB displayed irresponsible leadership by putting blind faith in test results knowing that Fakhar has COVID symptoms and knowing that the possibility of false negative results cannot be ruled out.

The ICC needs to step in and impose sanctions on PCB because we are clearly not responsible enough to tour during this pandemic.

Apparently, this is the competent leadership that we were promised under Mani and Wasim.
 
Mamoon said:
I am shocked that not many people are talking about this. Looks like they do not understand what has happened.

This right here is the source of the humiliation that Pakistan is going through in New Zealand right now.

Fakhar showed COVID symptoms but tested negative, most probably false negative.

He was isolated from the squad on 22nd November because he started to show COVID symptoms somewhere around 20-21 November, while the rest of the players boarded the flight to New Zealand on 23rd November.

The issue here is not the false negative result. False negative results happen everywhere, but how you manage a false negative result is what matters.

PCB isolated Fakhar alone and wrongly assumed that he didn’t have COVID - and they didn’t transmit COVID to others - since he tested negative.

As a result, he transmitted the virus to several members of the squad who boarded the plane and who were tested again only when they landed in New Zealand.

The sensible thing to do would have been to isolate not only Fakhar but also the entire squad and then re-test them again before leaving for New Zealand.

Had PCB done that, this embarrassment would have been avoided.

PCB displayed irresponsible leadership by putting blind faith in test results knowing that Fakhar has COVID symptoms and knowing that the possibility of false negative results cannot be ruled out.

The ICC needs to step in and impose sanctions on PCB because we are clearly not responsible enough to tour during this pandemic.

Apparently, this is the competent leadership that we were promised under Mani and Wasim.
Click to expand...

Your whole post is based on huge assumptions. Apart from displaying some symptoms, has it been confirmed for certain that Fakhar had covid prior to the teams departure?

What’s just as likely if not more, is that someone else had covid, but was not displaying symptoms and he tested false negative. It is very common to be asymptotic and have covid, especially if you are younger and fitter. I have lots of friends in ‘key worker’ positions in the UK who are routinely tested and many end up being positive when they have absolutely no symptoms before or after. Had they not been in a key worker position, no one would ever have found out.


Your final line sums up your agenda, the rest of your post is your opinion stated as fact in order to arrive at that summary. As I said in another post, the only difference between the PCB and the ECB during the summer, is that the ECB got lucky that Jofra wasn’t infected when he deliberately breached the bubble and rejoined the squad without any checks or procedures.
 
Mamoon said:
I am shocked that not many people are talking about this. Looks like they do not understand what has happened.

This right here is the source of the humiliation that Pakistan is going through in New Zealand right now.

Fakhar showed COVID symptoms but tested negative, most probably false negative.

He was isolated from the squad on 22nd November because he started to show COVID symptoms somewhere around 20-21 November, while the rest of the players boarded the flight to New Zealand on 23rd November.

The issue here is not the false negative result. False negative results happen everywhere, but how you manage a false negative result is what matters.

PCB isolated Fakhar alone and wrongly assumed that he didn’t have COVID - and they didn’t transmit COVID to others - since he tested negative.

As a result, he transmitted the virus to several members of the squad who boarded the plane and who were tested again only when they landed in New Zealand.

The sensible thing to do would have been to isolate not only Fakhar but also the entire squad and then re-test them again before leaving for New Zealand.

Had PCB done that, this embarrassment would have been avoided.

PCB displayed irresponsible leadership by putting blind faith in test results knowing that Fakhar has COVID symptoms and knowing that the possibility of false negative results cannot be ruled out.

The ICC needs to step in and impose sanctions on PCB because we are clearly not responsible enough to tour during this pandemic.

Apparently, this is the competent leadership that we were promised under Mani and Wasim.
Click to expand...

I agree with you 100%

If Fakhar was isolated , base upon symptoms, he must be highly infectious at that time . A person is most infectious when symptomatic in the beginning . Whole team should have assumed exposed to a very infectious patients and should be dealt like that.

What followed in NZL was embarrassing, idiotic and totally unprofessional, there should be some accountability for that.
 
aloo paratha said:
If it was a false negative what could anybody have done?
Click to expand...

Isolate all the players who were exposed to Fakhar. It is complete madness to put 100% faith in test results when you show clear COVID symptoms.
 
Mamoon said:
Isolate all the players who were exposed to Fakhar. It is complete madness to put 100% faith in test results when you show clear COVID symptoms.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I agree. Trusting test results when symptoms were clear to see was a blunder. The fact that false negatives are relatively common is well reported. PCB really underestimated the repercussions of such an oversight.
 
shariqnoor said:
Career saving fever by Fakhar!!!! Had he been on the plane and played, his career would've been over. Now his alternative will invariably fail and by token of being on the bench, Fakhar will be claimed as the answer to the opening problem.
Click to expand...

Yep. I think he would have been well and truly worked over by the Kiwi pace attack which is one of the better ones out there. Not that I think any replacement will do much better, but at least worth trying someone else.
 
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