Karachi, Feb 20 Pakistan’s campaign in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 has suffered a massive blow as injury forced star opener Fakhar Zaman to be ruled out of the tournament.
The left-hander sustained an injury while fielding early into Pakistan’s opener against New Zealand at Karachi’s National Stadium on Wednesday.
"Fakhar Zaman has been deemed unfit for the rest of Pakistan's Champions Trophy campaign. He sustained a knee injury during last night's match. The scans following his injury aren't promising, and he has been ruled out," a source close to PCB told IANS.
After Fakhar's unfortunate exit, Pakistan are set to draft in Imam-ul-Haq as his replacement. The left-handed opener, who has been a regular in Pakistan’s ODI setup in recent years, is expected to join the squad soon, pending official confirmation from the International Cricket Council (ICC) and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).
"Imam ul Haq will replace Fakhar Zaman in the Pakistan squad," the source added.
Imam-ul-Haq was part of Pakistan Shaheen's squad that played two of the practice matches ahead of the Champions Trophy.
Fakha rose to prominence in the 2017 Champions Trophy, scoring a match-winning 114 against India in the final in London. His exit came as a huge setback for Pakistan, which was counting on his experience and aggressive batting at the top of the order, especially with a high-voltage clash against India looming on Sunday in Dubai.
Imam's inclusion could provide much-needed stability at the top, but Fakhar’s absence will undoubtedly leave a void in Pakistan’s batting lineup, especially in the high-stakes encounter against arch-rivals India.
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