- Fakhar sustained oblique tear after an awkward fall.
- ICC approves Imam as replacement for Zaman in Pakistan’s squad.
- Development comes days before India clash on February 23 in Dubai.
DUBAI: Imam-ul-Haq has joined Pakistan’s Champions Trophy 2025 squad, replacing opener Fakhar Zaman who was ruled out of the tournament due to injury, delivering a serious blow to the national cricket team.
Fakhar sustained an oblique tear after an awkward fall while fielding during the opening over of Pakistan’s match against New Zealand in Karachi.
He had returned to the field briefly after medical evaluation but was forced to exit again, prompting fears over his fitness.
Subsequent scans confirmed the severity of the injury, leading to his withdrawal just days before the Green Shirts’ clash against India on February 23 in Dubai.
The left-handed batter took to his social media handles to announce his departure from the rest of the tournament.
The Event Technical Committee of the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025 has approved Imam as a replacement for Zaman in Pakistan’s squad.
A player’s replacement requires approval from the Event Technical Committee before being officially added to the squad.
Imam was already part of the Pakistan Shaheens squad and recently impressed in a warm-up match against South Africa, scoring 98 runs.
Meanwhile, in the tournament opener, defending champions Pakistan suffered a 60-run defeat against New Zealand.
Chasing a daunting target of 321, the Men in Green were bowled out for 260, with Khushdil Shah top-scoring with 69 off 49 deliveries, while Babar Azam contributed 64 from 90 balls.
For New Zealand, Will Young and Tom Latham struck centuries, while Glenn Phillips’ quickfire 61 off 39 deliveries provided a crucial boost to their total.
Pakistan will now face arch-rivals India in their next fixture, a must-win encounter to keep their title defense hopes alive.
Pakistan’s updated squad: Mohammad Rizwan (c), Babar Azam, Imam-ul-Haq, Kamran Ghulam, Saud Shakeel, Tayyab Tahir, Faheem Ashraf, Khushdil Shah, Salman Ali Agha, Usman Khan, Abrar Ahmed, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Hasnain, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi.
