"No truth": Pakistan opener Fakhar Zaman rubbishes away retirement reports

Islamabad [Pakistan], February 26 (ANI): Pakistan opener Fakhar Zaman rubbished away the reports claiming that he was planning to retire after an injury in the Champions Trophy opener against New Zealand ruled him out of the entire tournament.

Fakhar made his return to the international circuit during the ODI tri-nation series before the Champions Trophy. He showed signs of his explosive form, but an injury in the opening clash against the Kiwis prematurely ended his campaign.

After Fakhar's latest setback, reports flooded social media about the seasoned opener considering international retirement. The 34-year-old, who is currently in rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy (NCA), dismissed the reports and confirmed that he committed to returning to the Pakistan team soon.

"There is no truth in the retirement news. I will be fully fit and join the team soon," Fakhar said, as quoted from Geo News.

Fakhar's unfortunate incident occurred when New Zealand opener Will Young drove a delivery from Shaheen Afridi through the covers. He sprinted to intercept the ball and managed to palm it back to Babar Azam for the return throw.

However, he immediately appeared in discomfort, clutching his lower back and signalling for a substitution. The team physio aided him in walking off the field. He later returned to the field after New Zealand lost their second wicket in the ninth over.

He came out to bat at number four and looked in trouble while pushing for singles and doubles. Michael Bracewell ended his misery by knocking over the bails off the stumps, sending Fakhar back to the dressing room with a scratchy 24(41).

Fakhar's dismissal proved to be a massive dent for Pakistan in pursuit of a daunting 321-run target. A late blitz from Khushdil Shah (69 from 49 deliveries) wasn't enough to save the defending champions from a 60-run defeat.

On Sunday, Pakistan missed Fakhar's aggression against its arch-rival India in Dubai. After winning the toss and opting to bat, Pakistan batters resorted to a defensive approach and limped to 241. Virat Kohli hammered his 51st ODI ton to take India past the finishing line and seal a 6-wicket win over Pakistan. (ANI)

(The story has come from a syndicated feed and has not been edited by the Tribune Staff.)