Asia Cup 2023: Pakistan's bold move; Fakhar Zaman dropped in surprising selection against Sri Lanka
Pakistan's cricket team has made a startling selection decision ahead of their high-stakes Asia Cup clash against Sri Lanka. The headline-grabbing move involves dropping opener Fakhar Zaman from the lineup, citing his recent struggles in the tournament.
FollowPakistan has stunned the cricket world with a surprising decision as they prepare for a crucial Asia Cup encounter against Sri Lanka. In a significant move, opener Fakhar Zaman has been dropped from the lineup. Fakhar's performance in the Asia Cup has been marked by inconsistency, with his highest score being a mere 27 runs, accumulating a total of 61 runs at an average of 20.33.
It's worth noting that despite his Asia Cup struggles, Fakhar Zaman had previously showcased his batting prowess by notching up three consecutive ODI centuries against New Zealand earlier in the year. He also holds a place in the top 10 of the MRF Tyres ODI Batter Rankings.
Replacing the left-handed opener is the young talent, Mohammad Haris, as part of Pakistan's comprehensive five-player shuffle for their crucial Super Four showdown with Sri Lanka in Colombo.
Pakistan's selection decisions were significantly influenced by a trio of injuries, which ruled out Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, and Salman Ali Agha (due to an eye injury). Additionally, all-rounder Faheem Ashraf has been left out of the squad, along with Fakhar.
Taking Ashraf's place is all-rounder Mohammad Nawaz. Furthermore, the absence of Naseem and Rauf opens up opportunities for Mohammad Wasim and Zaman Khan to showcase their abilities alongside the pace spearhead, Shaheen Afridi.
Babar Azam's team faces a must-win scenario against Sri Lanka to secure a spot in this year's Asia Cup final against India. Conversely, Sri Lanka only needs to avoid defeat to progress.
Pakistan Playing XI: Mohammad Haris, Imam-ul-Haq, Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Saud Shakeel, Iftikhar Ahmed, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Shaheen Afridi, Mohammad Wasim, Zaman Khan
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