Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Director High Performance and selector Aaqib Javed expressed concern over the injuries to Babar Azam and Fakhar Zaman, who were part of the recently concluded T20 World Cup 2026 squad. Aaqib has sought an investigation into how players playing a tournament like the World Cup can get injured so soon after.
In the press conference, Aaqib Javed along with Misbah-ul-Haq, Sarfaraz Ahmed and Asad Shafiq confirmed that Fakhar Zaman was also injured. He asked the board to launch an investigation to find out what really happened backstage.
Did Babar Azam and Fakhar Zaman fake their injuries to play in the recently concluded T20 World Cup 2026?
For the 3-match ODI series against Bangladesh, Pakistan Cricket Board named several uncapped cricketers in place of senior cricketers like Babar Azam and many others. Excluding Babar Azam from the ODI team was a shocking step by the board. Later, it was reported that the batsman himself did not want to play the series as he wanted to spend more time on batting rehearsals.
Your daily dose of cricket!
It was officially announced after the second ODI of the three-match series that, due to injury, Babar Azam would not be traveling with the team for the ODI series against Bangladesh. In the press conference, the PCB selector also told that along with Azam, Fakhar Zaman is also injured.
How is it possible that Fakhar is also ineligible? Aaqib Javed raised the question
Javed urged the PCB to consider an investigation to find out whether he had faked his fitness status during the T20 World Cup 2026. The selectors refused to believe that a player who had just come from a high-profile tournament like the World Cup could suddenly get injured.
“Yes, Fakhar is also injured. We are requesting the cricket board to investigate this. How is it possible that Fakhar is also unfit? The injuries of both these players have come to our notice after the World Cup,” Aaqib Javed said in the press conference ahead of the third and final ODI of the bilateral series between Bangladesh vs Pakistan.
The selector raised many questions on PCB
“So, when he was playing during the World Cup, was his fitness not being monitored? (Was he not fully fit as part of the team? We are selectors, we should be aware of that. But when you go to the World Cup, whatever health issues he has, injury issues, updates, it is your head coach, your physio, who should be kept updated. And we should be aware of that), the selector expressed his concern over several questions being raised.
Aaqib Javed also informed that decisions related to team selection in the board are taken through mutual consultation between the coaching staff, captain and the selection committee. Selectors should be aware of the injury reports, so that they can pick the strongest team for any competition.
Read more: Salman Ali Aga criticizes Mehdi Hasan Miraz for ‘killing’ spirit of cricket in run-out drama
