• Fakhar Zaman has been dropped from Pakistan's playing XI for their clash against Sri Lanka in the ODI World Cup 2023.

  • Abdullah Shafique replaced Fakhar for the crucial match.

CWC 2023: Why is Pakistan batter Fakhar Zaman not playing today’s game against Sri Lanka? Fans react
Fakhar Zaman (Image Source: Twitter)

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The ODI World Cup 2023 is in full swing, and cricket enthusiasts from around the globe have been treated to some great encounters so far. The event on Tuesday (October 10) saw another promising clash went underway at Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium when Pakistan faced off against Sri Lanka in the eighth match of the tournament.

Although the cricketing world was abuzz with anticipation as Pakistan took the field against the Islanders, what truly surprised fans was the absence of Pakistan’s star batter Fakhar Zaman from the playing XI.

Babar Azam informs about Fakhar Zaman’s shocking exclusion

Fakhar’s exclusion was confirmed by Pakistan skipper Babar Azam during the toss. He even gave the reason behind the surprising call and said that the top order had not been performing well for quite some time, which led the management to exclude Fakhar. Babar further informed that Abdullah Shafique had replaced the 33-year-old in the playing XI.

“We aren’t up to the mark at the top and we made one change. Abdullah Shafique comes in for Fakhar,” said Babar.

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What led to Zaman getting dropped?

It is worth mentioning that Zaman is currently going through a rough patch in his career. The left-handed batter hasn’t been able to score a single fifty in his last 11 ODI innings and also failed to impress in the Asia Cup 2023 held before the ongoing World Cup.

In contrast to Zaman’s struggles, Shafique has been on an upward trajectory in recent times, and his inclusion in the playing XI for this crucial match against Sri Lanka was not arbitrary. Shafique had displayed promising form, including notching up a half-century against Sri Lanka in the recently concluded Asia Cup, which undoubtedly gave him an edge over Zaman in the playing XI for the World Cup match against the Islanders.

Fans come up with mixed reactions on Fakhar’s exclusion

As the news of Fakhar Zaman’s exclusion spread like wildfire, cricket fans took to social media to express their mixed reactions. It was a decision that divided opinions among the passionate Pakistan cricket fanbase. While some commended the management for making a tough call, others were furious at Zaman’s sudden exclusion from the team.

Here’s how fans reacted:

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About the Author:
VISHWANATH HARIHARAN
Vishwanath Hariharan is Content Strategist at CricketTimes.com. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Journalism and Mass Communication. From breaking news stories to in-depth features and opinion pieces, he has covered a wide range of topics. Vishwanath is very fond of watching cricket. Like many others, he too grew up watching, playing, and imitating his favourite players of the game. MS Dhoni is like a demigod to him. You can connect with him at vishwanath.hariharan@crickettimes.com and follow him on Twitter & Linkedin.