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Tweetgate: Fakhar Zaman parts ways with his agent after PCB snub

This development comes after Fakhar missed out on a central contract and also lost his place in Pakistan’s squads for the upcoming white-ball series against Australia and Zimbabwe.

Tweetgate: Fakhar Zaman parts ways with his agent after PCB snub

Pakistan's Fakhar Zaman celebrates after scoring a century against New Zealand during the 2023 ODI World Cup in Bengaluru.

PCB

Fakhar Zaman, Pakistan's leading left-handed batsman, has parted ways with Saya Corporation, a player management company, after a recent controversial tweet from his account drew criticism from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).

This development comes after Fakhar missed out on a central contract and also lost his place in Pakistan’s squads for the upcoming white-ball series against Australia and Zimbabwe.

On Tuesday, Fakhar’s brother, Dr. Gohar Zaman, posted on X (formerly Twitter), confirming Fakhar's split from Saya Corporation: “As an elder brother, I confirm that Fakhar Zaman will not be part of the SAYA Corps from today.”

However, the aforementioned post was later deleted. Nukta has learnt that the deletion occurred at the request of Saya Corporation.

Furthermore, sources close to Fakhar have confirmed to Nukta that the hard-hitting batter will no longer be associated with the company.

The controversial tweet

Pakistan's Babar Azam at the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 in India.Reuters

The controversy began when Fakhar, responding to Babar Azam’s exclusion from the Test squad after a string of low scores, tweeted, “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.”

The truth behind the controversy

The question is whether this tweet was made by Fakhar himself or his agent at the Saya Corporation, who also manages Pakistan’s other star players, including Babar Azam and the newly-appointed white-ball captain, Mohammad Rizwan.

Nukta has learnt that Fakhar had discussed the tweet with Saya Corporation before posting, and his agent had advised him to proceed, which ultimately led to the fallout with PCB.

Following this, Fakhar’s brother advised him to sever ties with Saya Corporation, pointing to the agency’s potentially poor counsel in encouraging the tweet despite its likely impact.

PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi recently addressed the issue at a press conference with Mohammad Rizwan, Agha Salman, and selector Aqib Javed.

He stated that actions similar to Fakhar’s tweet would not be tolerated once a selection committee decision has been made. Naqvi also attributed Fakhar’s exclusion from the central contract to fitness concerns.

This is the first time in eight years that Fakhar has been left out of the central contract list.

Former cricketers lend support to Fakhar

Former Test opener Sadiq Mohammad voiced surprise at Fakhar’s exclusion from the tours, arguing that his fitness could be managed.

“Fakhar should have been part of the touring party. If he has fitness issues, he can overcome it but he is a fine player for white ball cricket,” Sadiq said.

Former cricketer Basit Ali also echoed this sentiment, calling it “huge injustice” in a YouTube video, adding that he believed truth would prevail and expressing hope that Fakhar would be rewarded for speaking out.

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