Following Pakistan’s debacle T20 World Cup 2024 campaign, former Pakistan captain Younis Khan has suggested Fakhar Zaman as a new candidate to fill in the shoes of Babar Azam.
Pakistan, in a first, were knocked out of the T20 World Cup in the group stage after a crucial Group A fixture between the co-host United States of America (USA) and Ireland was abandoned here without a ball bowled.
The Green Shirts had a disastrous start to their T20 World Cup 2024 campaign as they suffered a shock loss against the USA in the Super Over.
Pakistan then succumbed to a frustrating six-run defeat against arch-rivals India at a jam-packed Nassau County International Cricket Stadium on June 9.
The back-to-back defeats put Pakistan on the verge of an early exit from the tournament.
The former champions then finally got on the winning track when they registered a hard-fought seven-wicket victory over Canada.
Pakistan then edged past Ireland in another stiff challenge to bow out of the T20 World Cup 2024 with a win.
The 2009 champions finished third in Group A standings with four points in four matches.
Questions have been asked about continuing with Babar Azam as the T201 captain after Pakistan’s embarrassing ouster.
Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel
Speaking on national television, Younis Khan wondered why attacking stroke-maker Fakhar Zaman couldn’t be the next T201 captain in place of Babar Azam while praising the former for turning around Pakistan’s 2023 ODI World Cup campaign.
“Why can’t Fakhar Zaman be the captain of the side isn’t he a performer? Didn’t he do well in the last 50-over World Cup? Who is that one player who gave us hope? Zaman started the 2023 World Cup in India poorly however, in the second half turned his form around which coincided with Pakistan’s success”, he said.
The T20 World Cup winning caption further said: “His [Fakhar] blistering starts at the top kept Pakistan in contention however, it was too little too late for them to go further in the tournament.”
He added: “Who is that one player in the side who is leaving his opening slot and batting down at four or five or six? Who is sacrificing his place? Fakhar Zaman! Why won’t you make him the captain?”
Fakhar has never captained Pakistan in his seven-year international career. He endured a dismal 2024 T20 World Cup campaign, scoring only 33 runs at an average of 8.25 and a strike rate of 110 in four games.
READ: New Zealand’s Lockie Ferguson sets multiple T20I records