KARACHI: Pakistan batter Fakhar Zaman has dismissed speculation about retiring from T20 International cricket, saying he no longer plans to step away from the format.
The left-handed opener, who has been a regular performer for Pakistan and Lahore Qalandars, said he had at one stage considered ending his T20I career after the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, which was hosted in India and Sri Lanka. He said he has since changed that decision.
“After the World Cup, I had decided to retire from T20 cricket. However, I no longer intend to retire and want to finish my T20 career on a high note,” Zaman stated.
The 35-year-old has been one of Pakistan’s established players in the shortest format. According to the reported figures, he has featured in 120 T20 Internationals and scored 2,494 runs at a strike rate of 132.51, with 14 half-centuries.
Fakhar has also maintained a strong record in the Pakistan Super League for Lahore Qalandars, a franchise he has represented for an 11th straight season. So far, he has played 99 matches in the league and made 3,018 runs at a strike rate of 141.82, including 24 fifties and two hundreds.
PSL disciplinary case
The clarification on his T20I future comes shortly after disciplinary proceedings against him in the Pakistan Super League.
Fakhar was recently charged with a Level 3 offence under Article 2.14 of the Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel for allegedly violating Article 41.3 of the playing conditions, which bars any action that changes the condition of the ball. The charge related to Lahore Qalandars’ PSL 11 match against Karachi Kings on March 29.
Following the matter, he was given a two-match suspension after match referee Roshan Mahnama held a disciplinary hearing. The report said the hearing followed a review of all evidence and Fakhar was also given an opportunity for a personal hearing.
Throughout the process, Fakhar denied the allegations and sought a full disciplinary hearing under the PSL Code of Conduct.
His request for a review of the suspension was later rejected by the Pakistan Super League Technical Committee. The committee — comprising Professor Javed Malik, Dr Mumraiz Naqshband, and Mr Syed Ali Naqi — upheld the two-match ban after examining the evidence and hearing submissions from the relevant parties.
His latest statement, however, has put to rest the retirement talk, with the batter making clear that he intends to continue in T20 Internationals and aims to conclude his career in the format on a strong note.
