‘Even a vegetable seller will say he’s the best opener’ – Basit Ali after Fakhar Zaman’s central contract snub

Fakhar Zaman. (Source – Twitter/X)

Former Pakistan cricketer Basit Ali has recently shown his empathy in the case of veteran opener Fakhar Zaman. The former expressed that Fakhar remains the country’s premier T20 opener, despite the 34-year-old’s recent exclusion from central contracts and national team selection.

The southpaw’s position within the Pakistani team has come under scrutiny after he voiced his support for former captain Babar Azam during the team’s struggles. The tweet resulted in Zaman losing his central contract with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for the first time in eight years, with the board citing fitness issues and the social media post as reasons for the decision. According to Basit, Fakhar’s sacrifice for the greater good of the team should be praised, not punished.

“Fakhar Zaman is a player who sacrificed his batting position for Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan. Pakistan don’t have a better opener than him in T20s. Even a vegetable seller will say that Fakhar is the best opener. He changed his batting position for the sake of the country,” Basit said on his Youtube channel.

Also Read: Reports: Fakhar Zaman pondering retirement after central contract snub by PCB

Should have given some margin to Fakhar as well: Basit Ali

Basit pointed out that the 34-year-old has been unfairly singled out, believing that with a lot of people tweeting in the past without facing similar consequences.

“He broke a law with his tweet. However, a lot of people have tweeted in the past. Fakhar isn’t the only one. Why are you not punishing the other players? I always say that everyone should get the same treatment. When nothing happened to the other players, you should have given some margin to Fakhar as well,” Basit added.

Fakhar’s recent exclusion from Pakistan’s central contracts and upcoming tours to Australia and Zimbabwe have dealt a significant blow to the player’s morale. Sources close to him have revealed that he is seriously considering retirement, feeling that the selectors’ handling of his case has been both inconsistent and unfair.