Why did Fakhar Zaman not open the innings for Pakistan in the PAK vs NZ match in the ICC Champions Trophy on Wednesday, February 19? The star cricketer has been a specialist opening batsman throughout his career and it was expected that he and Babar Azam would start the innings for the Pakistan national cricket team with the bat. But it was not the case as it was Saud Shakeel instead, who opened the innings for Pakistan alongside

Babar Azam. Fans might wonder why this happened in this article, we shall explore just that. Fakhar Zaman Injury Update: PCB Provides Statement After Pakistan Star Hurts Himself While Fielding During PAK vs NZ ICC Champions Trophy 2025 Match.

Fakhar Zaman made his much-awaited comeback to the Pakistan national cricket team and gave fans a reminder of his capabilities by scoring a magnificent 84 off 69 deliveries, a knock that included seven fours and four sixes. Fakhar Zaman is expected to be one of the key players for Pakistan in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 as they aim to defend the title they won back in 2017. 'Scared' Devon Conway Ducks During Pakistan Air Force's Air Show in Karachi Before PAK vs NZ ICC Champions Trophy 2025 Match (Watch Video).

Why Fakhar Zaman Did Not Open the Innings for Pakistan in PAK vs NZ Champions Trophy 2025 Match?

The reason for Fakhar Zaman not opening for Pakistan is down to the rules of the game. The star cricketer had suffered an injury in the very first over of the first innings while chasing a delivery hit by Will Young off Shaheen Afridi's bowling. While he managed to prevent the boundary, Fakhar Zaman injured himself in the process and walked off the field, later sitting near the advertisement board with Kamran Ghulam coming on as a substitute fielder. The PCB (Pakistan Cricket Board) issued a statement, stating that the player had been assessed for a muscular sprain.

Fakhar Zaman did not come out to the field for the entirety of the powerplay from that moment onwards. He was able to return to on-field action after 33 overs. According to ICC's rules, a player, to bat or bowl, has to spend has to spend time on the field similar to the time he has been off the field. According to Law 25.3, "If a member of the batting side has unserved Penalty time ... that player shall not be permitted to bat or act as a runner until that Penalty time has been served. However, even if the unserved Penalty time has not expired, that player may bat after his/her side has lost 5 wickets," and in this light, the reason behind Fakhar Zaman not being allowed to open can be understood. If the Pakistan players had had to remain on the field till 6:55 PM IST (Indian Standard Time), then Fakhar Zaman would have spent the required time ground and been eligible for opening. But New Zealand's innings ended 20 minutes earlier and hence he was not allowed to come out on the field for that time. The left-hander eventually batted at number four.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 19, 2025 08:06 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).