Pakistan’s Fakhar Zaman targets Champions Trophy comeback

Dubai: When the Champions Trophy was held last time in 2017, Pakistan opener Fakhar Zaman put the Indian attack to the sword with a swashbuckling century to guide Pakistan to six-wicket victory in the final at The Oval.

Seven years down the line, the swashbuckling left-hander is aiming to seal his spot in the Pakistan team after gaining full fitness from a medical condition. The 34-year-old is getting ready for the much-awaited Champions Trophy clash, where Pakistan will meet India in the group stage in Dubai. Zaman feels the best way to achieve that is by playing in the DP World ILT20 League with Desert Vipers.

Zaman has not played for his country since the ICC T20 World Cup in June of 2024, but he told the Vipers Voices podcast he has not turned the page on his international career.

“Hundred per cent I will play for Pakistan (again),” he said. “Actually, many people do not know about that, but after the T20 World Cup I got sick and because of the medical condition I was not fit, so I was not a part of the team.

“But now I have recovered hundred per cent, and you will see me in the next international series which Pakistan plays.”

The next major white-ball tournament for Pakistan is the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. An untimely injury to talented opener Saim Ayub could open the spot for Zaman, but the Pakistani batter said he expected to stay with the Desert Vipers for the whole tournament while wishing for Saim’s speedy recovery.

“My plan has been around the Champions Trophy (in 2025),” he said. “I did not play in the Australia tour or in the South Africa tour, so my whole plan was just to play in the Champions Trophy to make myself available and to be fully fit for the tournament.

“That was in the back of my mind, and I am thankful, and I am lucky to be fit right now. I started from the Champions Trophy 2017 and that went really well for me and now I am very excited for the next edition also.”

Zaman will be part of the Vipers squad that includes fellow Pakistans Mohammed Amir and Azam Khan along with England all-rounder Sam Curran and opener Alex Hales.

Fakhar has more than 5,000 international runs and over 7,000 runs in Twenty20 cricket, but although he is best known as an opener, he has actually batted from No 1 to six for Pakistan in the shortest international format.

And although he said he wanted to open for the Vipers, he added he was willing and happy to slot in wherever he was required.

“In Pakistan we have three of the best players in the world in Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan and Saim Ayub, so sometimes I feel lucky to be in the team even if I am not able to make my place in the team as an opener,” he added, showing that he is a real team man.

The Desert Vipers’ first match of the 2025 DP World ILT20 is on day two of the tournament, against the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders at Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi, starting at 2pm.