LAHORE: Pakistan opener Fakhar Zaman has opened up about the fitness issues that forced him to miss the national side’s recent ODI fixtures against Australia and Bangladesh.
In a candid conversation with Salman Butt on Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) podcast ‘Straight Drive’, Fakhar reflected on his career and opened up about the fitness issues that have sidelined him.
“When you play cricket regularly, niggles are part and parcel of the game. But when I was diagnosed with a thyroid condition, I had no idea about it. Because of that, I lost around 15 kilograms, and it had a huge impact on my fitness,” he said.
He said the thyroid condition had affected his fitness, but he recovered in time to play in the T20 World Cup 2026.
“As a player, you never give up. I kept playing despite everything, but the illness eventually left me bedridden. Thankfully, I recovered, got back to full fitness, and even went on to play in the World Cup,” the 36-year-old said.
“During the World Cup, I picked up a few more injuries that I had been carrying for a while.”
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The left-hander said the break from international cricket gave him the opportunity to spend two to three months at the National Cricket Academy (NCA).
“Luckily, I got some time off recently. I missed six ODIs, three against Australia and three against Bangladesh, but I used those two to three months at the NCA to work hard on my fitness.”
Fakhar Zaman said his main aim is to play in the 2027 ODI World Cup, adding that he had sacrificed recent appearances to fully recover and avoid recurring injuries.
“I don’t think too far ahead. Right now, my next target is the 2027 ODI World Cup; that is what is on my mind,” he noted.
“All these recent matches that I missed, I could have played if I wanted to, but I knew that if these minor niggles worsened, they might affect my main goal. That’s why I took this two to three-month break. My main target right now is the ODI World Cup,” he concluded.
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