Is Fakhar Zaman Fully Fit?
By Saleem Khaliq

“Hey, can you tell me if the entire Champions Trophy is being shifted to the UAE? I’ve heard PCB officials Salman Naseer and Sameer Syed urgently flew to Dubai.” While preparing to sleep after reaching Dubai from Saudia , a phone call from a friend in Pakistan disrupted my plans. I replied, “Don’t take Indian media reports seriously. They’ve been spreading such stories for a while, but there’s no truth to them. The schedule remains unchanged.”

Later, I contacted a senior PCB official who also dismissed the reports as “fake news.” ICC sources confirmed the same, saying PCB officials were in the UAE to negotiate revenue-sharing matters with the Emirates Board. Negative news from India will likely continue until the Champions Trophy concludes. After all, Pakistan is hosting an ICC event after a long time, and it’s clear that our neighbors aren’t pleased.

Currently, the ILT20 league is taking place in the UAE, featuring Pakistan’s Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Amir, and Azam Khan. Last year, Shaheen Shah Afridi also participated. The Pakistani players are representing the same team, Desert Vipers. At the team hotel, I have seen Amir in the lobby then sent Fakhar a WhatsApp message, only to learn he was out. I later had a chat with the team’s Director of Cricket, Tom Moody, who praised the skills of all three Pakistani players, especially Fakhar. He seemed particularly happy with Fakhar’s presence.

I also spoke with young UAE all-rounder Ali Naseer, who made a half-century on debut against the West Indies in 2023. Ali, who hails from Karachi, shared that Pakistani players have been giving him valuable advice. Amir taught him how to bowl slower deliveries, and he hopes to learn power-hitting from Fakhar. Ali shared an amusing story about Azam Khan hitting such powerful shots in practice that 5-6 balls went missing in his first session.

Later, I visited the Dubai Cricket Stadium for the captains’ press conference. The organizers unveiled the trophy creatively, having captains pose as grounds staff performing tasks like mowing the lawn, rolling the pitch, and setting up bails. During the media interaction, preparations for the tournament were discussed. After the press conference, some Indian journalists asked me, “Will Pakistan really host the Champions Trophy?” I explained that the videos they were showing were outdated and that most stadium renovations were now complete. I even showed them new videos of the venues on my phone to prove it.

The next day, I met Fakhar Zaman at the ICC Academy, where he was practicing in the nets and doing running drills. I also caught up with Azam Khan, who is enjoying playing in leagues after being sidelined from the national team post-World Cup. Azam remains hopeful about making a comeback. Fakhar, apart from being an excellent cricketer, is an even better human being. During a brief interview, he declared himself fully fit and committed to participating in the Champions Trophy. When I mentioned how great it would’ve been to see him and Saim Ayub opening together if Saim hadn’t been injured, Fakhar expressed his regret over Saim’s injury.

In the evening, I attended the ILT20’s opening ceremony, which featured Bollywood stars Shahid Kapoor, Sonam and Pooja performing along with a spectacular fireworks display. I also met Wasim Akram, who praised PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi for his energetic approach and efforts to revive Pakistanthe opening ceremony, Shoaib Akhtar was also prominently present. A video of him recently surfaced in which he is seen walking in a Dubai shopping mall surrounded by security guards, much like Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan, even though there was no one there to trouble him. Shoaib is deeply influenced by these two actors, and this is evident from his demeanor. On the other hand, Wasim Akram, who was a greater cricketer than him, would never be seen doing something like this.(1/2)