Former Pakistan pacer Mohammad Amir has revealed the details of his conversation with opening batter Fakhar Zaman, who picked up an injury in the opening match of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 against New Zealand.
Fakhar was ruled out of the Champions Trophy 2025 after sustaining an injury in the very first over of New Zealand’s innings which forced him to leave the ground for medical assessment.
Though he attempted to return to the field after some time, he eventually walked off again, raising serious concerns about his fitness.
Despite the discomfort, Fakhar still came out to bat in Pakistan’s chase of 321 runs. However, he looked far from his usual fluent self, managing a scratchy 24 before getting dismissed.
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Imam-ul-Haq, who recently represented Pakistan Shaheens in the Champions Trophy warm-up match against South Africa, was confirmed on 20 February to replace Fakhar in the squad.
Mohammad Amir, while speaking on a private TV channel, shared that he enjoys a close friendship with Fakhar, having spent over a month together during ILT20.
He revealed that he reached out to Fakhar Zaman to express concern about his injury and check whether it was related to his knee or back.
According to Amir, Fakhar clarified that he is dealing with a side strain injury, which could keep him out of action for up to two months. Even if he makes a quick recovery, his return is only expected toward the later stages of the Pakistan Super League (PSL).
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The left-arm pacer further revealed that during their morning conversation, Fakhar mentioned experiencing mild coughing, which worsens his pain and causes breathing difficulties.
Amir explained that side strain injuries typically take around six weeks to heal, followed by a rehabilitation phase before a full return to action.
It’s worth noting that the defending champions and hosts Pakistan began their ICC Champions Trophy 2025 campaign with a 60-run loss against New Zealand.
They will now face arch-rivals India in the much-awaited clash at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on February 23 before returning home to square off against Bangladesh in Rawalpindi on February 27.
Pakistan squad for ICC Champions Trophy 2025
Mohammad Rizwan (c), Babar Azam, Imam-ul-Haq, Kamran Ghulam, Saud Shakeel, Tayyab Tahir, Faheem Ashraf, Khushdil Shah, Salman Ali Agha (vc), Usman Khan, Abrar Ahmed, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Hasnain, Naseem Shah and Shaheen Shah Afridi.
READ: Here’s when Imam-ul-Haq will join Pakistan’s Champions Trophy squad