PCB shares injury update on Fakhar Zaman, Saim Ayub

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has released an update regarding the fitness of injured national team openers Saim Ayub and Fakhar Zaman.

During the Test series against South Africa, Saim Ayub suffered an ankle injury while fielding. Doctors advised him to rest for six weeks, ruling him out of the ICC Champions Trophy. Considering his recovery timeline, he was unable to secure a spot in the Pakistan squad.

Meanwhile, Fakhar Zaman had been absent from the series against Australia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe due to fitness concerns. However, he made a comeback to the national team and was also named in Pakistan’s Champions Trophy squad.

Unfortunately, Fakhar sustained an injury on February 19 during Pakistan’s opening match against New Zealand in the Champions Trophy, which forced him to withdraw from the tournament. He is currently undergoing rehabilitation at Lahore’s National Cricket Academy (NCA).

In an official statement, the PCB confirmed that owing to medical reasons, neither of the two openers was considered for selection in any format for the recent series.

However, the board expects both players to be fully fit in time for the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 10, which is set to begin on April 11, 2025, in Rawalpindi.