Champions Trophy 2025: Pakistan vs New Zealand – Fakhar Zaman Banned for 20 Minutes
The first match of the Champions Trophy 2025 between Pakistan and New Zealand is being played in Karachi. In this opening match, New Zealand posted a massive total of 320 runs. However, despite completing 20 overs, Pakistan has struggled to score even 100 runs. Adding to their woes, Pakistan’s explosive opener Fakhar Zaman was banned for 20 minutes in the first match.
Why Was Fakhar Zaman Banned?
Fakhar Zaman, known for his aggressive batting, did not open the innings against New Zealand. Surprisingly, he was not even sent to bat at number three. But what was the reason behind this?
The reason is that Fakhar Zaman was injured on the second ball of New Zealand’s innings and had to leave the field. After a long recovery period, he returned to the field. However, according to ICC rules, he had to face the consequences for staying off the field for an extended time.
As per ICC regulations, if a player remains off the field beyond the stipulated time due to an injury or any other reason, they must stay off the field for an equivalent duration when their team is batting. Due to this rule, Fakhar Zaman was not allowed to bat for 20 minutes when Pakistan’s innings began.
Pakistan’s Alternative Opening Pair
Since Fakhar Zaman was unavailable at the start of the innings, Pakistan had to send Saud Shakeel and Babar Azam to open the batting instead.
