Danish Kaneria, a former cricket player for Pakistan, thinks opening batsman Fakhar Zaman has a lot of potential to be the next captain of Pakistan after Mohammad Rizwan.
Kaneria’s remarks follow the fact that, despite being the hosts and defending champions, Pakistan, under Rizwan, became the first team to be eliminated from the current ICC Champions Trophy 2025.
During a recent interview, the former spinner lauded Fakhar’s bold attitude and the impact he may have on the team.
“He is fearless and will challenge you. He brings the X factor. Pakistan did not have him yesterday (during the Pakistan-India match) since he was injured and ruled out of the Champions Trophy”, Kaneria stated.
He went on to criticise the team administration for not encouraging Fakhar, saying, “He is not given much assistance since it would disturb Babar and Rizwan’s domination. But he’s a hard-working and brave cricketer.”
Several prominent Pakistan players have dropped in the latest ICC ODI rankings, following poor performances in previous matches.
Fakhar Zaman, Rizwan ODI ranking
Fakhar Zaman, who returned to the tournament during the tri-nation ODI series after being previously ruled out, has slid three places to 17th with 621 rating points.
Mohammad Rizwan, Pakistan’s white-ball captain, has also dropped four spots, from 16th to 20th place, with 616 points. Rizwan’s performances, which included only three runs against New Zealand and 46 runs against India, contributed to his drop.
Imam-ul-Haq, after scoring only 10 runs in his ODI comeback against India in Dubai, has maintained his 32nd position with 582 rating points.
