Fakhar Zaman, Saim Ayub return timeline revealed

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Tuesday issued return timeline for the injured openers Fakhar Zaman and Saim Ayub.

Saim Ayub, who sustain an ankle injury during the second Test against South Africa, ruled out from the ICC Champions trophy, while Fakhar sustained injury in the opening match of the tournament against New Zealand.

Saim suffered a right ankle fracture in January and was ruled out of international cricket for at least six weeks.

Meanwhile, Fakhar is currently undergoing rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Lahore.

In a statement released by the PCB confirmed that both the batters were not considered for selection in any format on medical grounds.

“Openers Fakhar Zaman and Saim Ayub were not considered for either format on medical advice,” PCB stated in a press release.

“Fakhar suffered a left lower intercostal muscle sprain during Pakistan’s ICC Champions Trophy 2025 opener against New Zealand, while Saim is recovering from a right ankle fracture sustained on the first day of the Cape Town Test against South Africa in January.”

“Both are expected to be fully fit for the HBL Pakistan Super League 10, starting in Rawalpindi on 11 April 2025,” the statement added.