ICC Champions Trophy 2025: Why Fakhar Zaman isn't opening for Pakistan in PAK vs NZ clash

Saud Shakeel opened with Babar Azam instead of Fakhar Zaman.

The ICC Champions Trophy 2025 kicked off on Wednesday with the hosts and defending champions Pakistan taking on New Zealand at the National Stadium in Karachi.

Pakistan are hosting an ICC tournament after 29 years. The last time they hosted a major ICC event was the 1996 World Cup.

Pakistan and New Zealand recently met twice during the recently-concluded ODI Tri-Series. The Kiwis defeated the hosts on both occasions in the Tri-Series, including the final.

On Tuesday in Lahore, Pakistan captain Mohammad Rizwan won the toss and elected to bowl first. New Zealand posted 320 runs in 50 overs, courtesy of centuries from Tom Latham and Will Young and a quickfire half-century from Glenn Phillips.

In the chase, Saud Shakeel opened with Babar Azam and not Fakhar Zaman. Zaman even didn’t come out to bat at No. 3, with Rizwan, the regular No. 4, batting at one drop.

Why Fakhar Zaman isn’t opening for Pakistan in PAK vs NZ clash?

Fakhar Zaman suffered a muscular sprain while fielding during New Zealand’s innings. He was off the field for two hours, and hence, could not take the field for the first 20 minutes of Pakistan’s innings, unless they lose at least five wickets in that period.

Zaman had chased a cover drive from Will Young through the covers. He slid and stopped the ball but injured himself in the process.

“Fakhar Zaman is being assessed and examined for a muscular sprain and further updates will be provided in due course,” the PCB said in a statement.

Teams:

New Zealand (Playing XI): Devon Conway, Will Young, Kane Williamson, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham(w), Glenn Phillips, Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner(c), Nathan Smith, Matt Henry, William O’Rourke

Pakistan (Playing XI): Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam, Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan(w/c), Salman Agha, Tayyab Tahir, Khushdil Shah, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, Abrar Ahmed

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