When Will He Perform? Ahmed Shehzad Questions Fakhar Zaman’s T20 Form

Former Pakistani cricketer Ahmed Shehzad has raised questions about national team opener Fakhar Zaman’s strike rate and consistency, especially in the T20 format.

During his recent appearance on the ‘Geo Podcast’, Ahmed Shehzad discussed his cricketing journey, shared insights about his own career, and gave his honest opinions on the performances of other Pakistani players.

While talking about Fakhar Zaman’s performance, Shehzad said,

“Fakhar Zaman won us an important match in the Champions Trophy and has performed well in One Day Internationals, but what are his stats in T20 cricket?”

He went on to say that people often highlight only the positive statistics of certain players, while ignoring the negatives. “For example,” he said, “everyone used to show only Babar Azam’s positive stats. But when we showed the negative ones, people were surprised and said they had never seen those numbers before.”

Ahmed Shehzad further questioned why favoritism and personal preferences still play a big role in Pakistan’s cricketing system. He said,

“People say that Fakhar Zaman can win matches when he performs well — but it’s been ten years now, when will he actually perform in T20s? Things in our cricket work based on who is liked by whom, which PSL team a player belongs to, and how much influence that team has in the PCB.”

Shehzad also revealed some specific performance details, pointing out Fakhar Zaman’s average of just around 20 and a strike rate of 127 in T20 internationals.
He questioned why an opener with such stats is still being backed so strongly.

“We looked at Fakhar Zaman’s T20 record and found that he hasn’t been able to settle either as an opener or in the middle order. His average is around 20, strike rate 127, and yet people keep saying, ‘When he fires, he wins the match.’ But my question is — after ten years, when will that happen? When will he finally perform consistently?”

Ahmed Shehzad’s comments have sparked discussions among cricket fans and analysts, with many agreeing that his concerns highlight a longstanding issue of inconsistency and favoritism within Pakistan’s cricket selection process. Others, however, believe Fakhar Zaman’s aggressive playing style and past match-winning innings still make him a valuable asset in the team.

Overall, Shehzad’s remarks underline a larger debate — whether players should continue to be supported based on past glories and potential, or be judged strictly on recent performances and consistency.

READ MORE: Here’s Where and How to Buy Tickets for Pakistan vs South Africa Series