Pakistan Star Cricketer set to retire from ODIs after Champions Trophy defeat: Muhammad Amir announces his plans to focus on Test cricket and T20s

New Delhi: Following their disappointing exit in the first round of the Champions Trophy on home soil, the Pakistan cricket team is once again in turmoil. After suffering heavy defeats against New Zealand and India, a key player in the team has reportedly decided to retire. According to sources in the Pakistani media, Fakhar Zaman, the team's experienced batsman and hero of the Champions Trophy 2017 final, has made the decision to bring his career to a close. It is expected that the left-handed star batsman will make an official announcement regarding his retirement soon.

Pakistan, which was hosting an ICC tournament at home for the first time after 29 years, was expected to perform well but the team led by Mohammad Rizwan disappointed its fans badly. With the defeat against New Zealand in the first match of the tournament and then against India in the second match, the team was eliminated from the first round of the tournament. Since then, everyone has come down on the entire team. Apart from former cricketers and media, fans are also demanding changes in the team.

Preparations to leave Pakistan along with retirement:
Amidst the demand for these changes, Pakistan’s legendary opener Fakhar Zaman is preparing to retire. According to the report of Pakistani media Sama TV, 34-year-old Fakhar Zaman has talked to his close ones about this and has told them that he is going to retire. Soon he will also officially announce it. Not only this, the report also claims that Fakhar is also preparing to leave Pakistan and settle in another country with his family. This will be the first big sacrifice in the Pakistani team after the defeat in the Champions Trophy.

“Champions Trophy will be my last ICC tournament. I want to take a break from ODI cricket,” Zaman reportedly said.

After being excluded from the Champions Trophy, Zaman posted an enigmatic message on the social media site X, saying, “Representing Pakistan on the biggest stage is an honour and dream of every cricketer in this country. I have been privileged enough to represent Pakistan multiple times with pride.”

Representing Pakistan on the biggest stage is an honour and dream of every cricketer in this country. I have been privileged enough to represent Pakistan multiple times with pride. Unfortunately I’m now out of ICC Champions Trophy 2025 but surely Allah is the best planner.… pic.twitter.com/MQKmOI4rQU

— Fakhar Zaman (@FakharZamanLive) February 20, 2025

Was out due to injury:
Apart from the team’s defeat, this decision of Fakhar Zaman seems to be due to his fitness as well. Fakhar Zaman was a part of the Pakistani team for this Champions Trophy but for the last few months he was out of the field due to fitness. Before the tournament, he made a comeback in the three-match ODI series. Here his comeback was strong but he got injured while fielding on the second ball of the first match of the Champions Trophy. Since then he has been struggling and was seen in trouble while batting as well. With this match, he was out of the tournament and then could not play against India as well.

It starts with the Champions Trophy and ends with it:
Incidentally, Fakhar’s ODI career also started with the 2017 Champions Trophy. In the final of this tournament, he made his team the champion by scoring a brilliant century against India. Now after 8 years, his career is ending with his exit in the first match of the Champions Trophy. Fakhar scored 3651 runs in 86 ODIs at an average of 46, which includes 11 centuries and 17 half-centuries. He is the only batsman to score a double century in ODIs for Pakistan.