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Pak vs NZ: Why Fakhar Zaman Didn’t Open in Pakistan’s Chase

Pakistan had to make an unexpected change to their batting order against New Zealand in the first match of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. Regular opener Fakhar Zaman was unable to start the innings due to an ICC penalty rule after leaving the field during Pakistan’s bowling innings.

Why Didn’t Fakhar Zaman Open?

In the very first over of New Zealand’s innings, Fakhar attempted to stop a shot by Kiwi opener Will Young but sustained an injury. As a result, he had to leave the field. According to ICC regulations, when a player is off the field for a significant duration, they must serve penalty time before resuming play.

Due to this rule, Fakhar had to wait 25 minutes before he was eligible to bat. Consequently, Saud Shakeel opened the innings with Babar Azam instead.

When Did Fakhar Zaman Come Out to Bat?

Fakhar could have batted at number three, but Saud Shakeel lost his wicket early. Since Fakhar’s penalty time was still active, skipper Mohammad Rizwan had to bat at number three. Rizwan was dismissed at the end of the 10th over, and by then, Fakhar’s penalty time had ended, allowing him to bat at number four.

ICC Rules on Field Absence and Penalty Time

Brief Absence from the Field

• If a fielder momentarily steps outside the boundary while fielding, it is not considered an official absence.
• Players leaving the field for a significant duration must serve penalty time before resuming their role.

Penalty Time Regulations

• Players absent for more than eight minutes must serve equivalent penalty time.
• Maximum penalty time is 120 minutes, which carries over if not fully served.
• Players cannot bat until their penalty time expires, unless five wickets have fallen.

Exceptions to the Rule

• Players injured due to an external incident (e.g., being hit by the ball) are exempt from penalty time.
• If the umpires deem the absence justified, no penalty is applied.
• Absences under eight minutes do not result in penalty time.

Consequences of Returning Without Permission

• If a player returns without the umpire’s approval and touches the ball, the batting side is awarded five penalty runs.
• The ball is declared dead, and any completed runs stand.

Conclusion

Fakhar Zaman’s delayed entry in Pak vs NZ was due to standard ICC penalty time rules. While this affected Pakistan’s batting order, Fakhar eventually resumed his role at number four. Understanding these regulations is crucial as they often impact crucial moments in international matches.

Published By:

Techiebhaiya