Mumbai, April 7 Dashing Pakistan batter Fakhar Zaman, serving a two-match ban in Pakistan Super League (PSL), has denied reports that he will be retiring from T20 internationals as he is considering migrating to the United States, a news report said on Tuesday.
There were reports and claims on social media that Fakhar, who turns 36 on Friday, has shifted his family to the USA and will retire from T20Is. He has also been plagued with fitness issues, including hormone issues, which cause frequent injuries.
“Fakhar is not at all retiring, and this he has conveyed to the Pakistan Cricket Board and the selection committee, nor is he leaving Pakistan,” sources close to the cricketer told Telecom Asia Sport on Tuesday.
The star batter played just two matches in the T20I World Cup, scoring 25 and 84 with aggression and no hint of fitness issues. But he had to withdraw from the ODI squad for the Bangladesh tour due to fitness issues.
Those issues revived reports that he will quit T20Is in order to concentrate on the 50-over format.
Pakistan will not play a T20I until October when they host Sri Lanka, while their next ODI series will be at home against Australia in May-June this year.
“Fakhar is determined to play the 2028 T20I World Cup and is working on his fitness as well, and before that wishes to represent the country in the Los Angeles Olympics as Pakistan is likely to get a berth alongside India,” sources told www.telecomasia.net.
Fakhar is serving a two-match ban on charges of ball tampering during Lahore Qalandars’ match against Karachi Kings on March 29 in the Pakistan Super League. He denied the charges before the match referee, Roshan Mahanama.
The match referee rejected his clarification, while a three-man PCB committee upheld the ban after a hearing.
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