Defending champions Pakistan were knocked out of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 being held at home by New Zealand and India after the first two matches, ending the much-anticipated event after a three-decade long wait in their home land.
After the team expectedly exited the marquee event, the rumors started swirling about the future of Fakhar Zaman, with some claiming that the star batter was considering retirement. However, 34-year-old Zaman dismissed all such retirement talks as baseless rumors, vowing instead to try to continue competing in all formats.
“Well, I have also heard a lot about this, and my friends have sent messages. However, nothing has substantial evidence backing this,” he said.
“One-day is my favorite format, and yes, due to my thyroid problem, I was thinking of taking some time off from cricket,” he added.
“But the thought of retirement has not even crossed my mind. I want to play One-day, T20, and I want to play Tests,” the left-hander restated.
The tournament couldn’t have gotten off to a worse start, with the batsman suffering a lower back injury at the start of the tournament while fielding against New Zealand.
“I hope to return to competitive cricket in about a month from now. However, I began to know after the pain I felt that it was already the end of my Champions Trophy campaign,” he mentioned.
Pakistan suffered heavily because the left-handed batsman couldn’t play and filled the gap, as he advanced this saying, “Had I opened, things could have been different because, in case of a big target, then an opener has an important role.”
“In the last one week, I have seen definite improvement in my healing. The doctor has said I can train three weeks hence, so I guess, one month down the line, I should be back.”
Zaman mentioned that despite being a limited-overs cricket fan, he would also like a chance to play red-ball cricket.
“I still want to play Tests, but the coaches and captain have their own planning, and I also feel that there are better Test players in Pakistan,” said the 34-year-old.
“I would love to come back and open, but it’s up to them to decide where to place me,” he concluded.
