The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) have decided to take action against Fakhar Zaman following his post coming out in support of Babar Azam following the selection committe's bold decision of dropping the format captain from the squad for the second and third Test of the ongoing series against England.

For those unversed, Pakistan's revamped selection committee sent shockwaves in the cricket fraternity in their first meeting as Babar as well star pacer Shaheen Afridi and Naseem Shah were left out of the squad following the home team's embarrasing defeat in the first Test by an innings and 47 runs which was Pakistan's sixth consecutive defeat.

Babar's form has been a major concern in red-ball cricket as the star batter has not scored a half-century in the longest format for almost two years. Babar's half-century drought has extended to 18 innings with his last score by the 50-run mark coming in December 2022 against New Zealand when he hit a knock of 161 at Karachi.

Since the start of 2023, Babar has made just 352 runs in nine matches at an average of 20.50 with a highest score of 51.

After news broke out that Pakistan have decided to drop Babar from the squad, Pakistan's star white-ball batter Fakhar Zaman lashed out at the PCB for the decision. Zaman namedropped Indian cricket legend Virat Kohli and showed his poor record in Test cricket between 2020 to 2022 and urged the selection committe to give Babar a long run.

"It’s concerning to hear suggestions about dropping Babar Azam. India didn’t bench Virat Kohli during his rough stretch between 2020 and 2023, when he averaged 19.33, 28.21, and 26.50, respectively. If we are considering sidelining our premier batsman, arguably the best Pakistan has ever produced, it could send a deeply negative message across the team. There is still time to avoid pressing the panic button; we should focus on safeguarding our key players rather than undermining them," wrote Fakhar on X(formerly Twitter).

According to a report by Cricbuzz, the post has landed Fakhar in trouble with the PCB issuing a showcause notice to him. Reportedly, the 34-year-old has been given seven days to 'explain his position' to the Pakistan cricket governing body.

The issue only comes days after Zaman had complained to PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi on the delay in issuing No Objection Certificates (NOC) for playing overseas leagues by director of international operations Usman Wahla.

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