Ramiz Raja criticizes Fakhar Zaman after Pakistan loss to Sri Lanka

Lahore: The former Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ramiz Raja took a jibe at Pakistan opener Fakhar Zaman following the Green Shirts’ elimination from the Asia Cup 2023 on Friday.

Pakistan was eliminated from the regional tournament after losing to Sri Lanka by a heartbreaking two wickets in the Super Four stage match, which was essentially a semi-final.

Furthermore, Babar Azam's leadership of the team and left-handed Fakhar Zaman's patchy performance drew particular criticism from the public and the athletic community.

Fakhar Zaman's expulsion from the team should be mentioned. Imam-ul-Haq was forced to withdraw from the match because of back spasms, although he was later reinserted into the lineup.

The opener’s lacklustre performance in the tournament continued with him getting clean bowled by pacer Pramod Madushan for just four.

In his YouTube video, Ramiz Raja expressed his displeasure with the batter's inclusion in the important match. The former head of the Pakistan Cricket Board referred to the player as "a walking wicket" and suggested that he should have decided to skip the game.

Fakhar Zaman is now a walking wicket, he declared. "His posture and body language are startling. I think Fakhar should himself refuse to play.”.

Babar Azam's leadership was challenged by Ramiz Raja. He stated that "authoritative decisions" must be made by the captain.

It is important to note that Fakhar Zaman's uneven play had prompted Kamran Akmal, a former wicketkeeper batter, to demand for his expulsion from the team.