Fakhar Zaman for Pakistan in Asia Cup (Source: AFP)
Fakhar Zaman has been one of the key batters for Pakistan in white-ball formats over the years. He is one of those rare batters from the country who can tonk the ball out of the ground on a regular basis, and he would have to bat well if Pakistan want to do well in the Asia Cup 2025.
However, Fakhar Zaman is likely to face plenty of challenges in the Asia Cup, and it could lead to his downfall as well. Thus, in this article, we will look at the few problems for Fakhar Zaman ahead of the Asia Cup 2025 in the UAE.
Uncertainty Over Batting Position And Utility As No. 3 Batter
Fakhar Zaman is naturally an opening batter but has often been forced to bat at different positions in T20Is for Pakistan. It has not allowed him to settle into the format at the international level, and despite good numbers in T20 cricket, his numbers for Pakistan in the shortest format are not that good.
| Criterion | As Opener | At No. 3 |
| Innings | 39 | 28 |
| Runs | 865 | 570 |
| Average | 22.18 | 22.80 |
| Strike-Rate | 134.74 | 116.80 |
Recently, he was demoted to number 3 in the series against West Indies despite a good knock against Bangladesh as an opener. Thus, he has been forced to bat at three again, a number where his strike rate is pretty low compared to his hitting rate in the opening position.
Thus, batting at three in the Asia Cup could again hamper his chances of making an impact, and it is a challenge he needs to tackle during the continental cup.
Injury-Prone Nature Of Fakhar Zaman
Fakhar Zaman recently suffered a strain in his left hamstring, which almost put his participation in the Asia Cup 2025 in danger. He has recovered in time, but given his long history of injuries, Fakhar would have to be careful in the UAE.
Before the injury in the Caribbean, Fakhar Zaman was out of action due to an oblique muscle strain he encountered in the Champions Trophy 2025. Thus, the batter's fitness has been a concern in the recent past and with age not on his side, remaining fully fit throughout the Asia Cup 2025 will be a challenge for him.
Poor Record In T20Is In UAE
Fakhar Zaman's overall average in T20Is is just 22.66, which is a concern for Pakistan. However, his numbers in T20Is in the UAE are even worse as he averages just 17.62 at a strike-rate of less than 110.
| Criterion | Data |
| Innings | 17 |
| Runs | 282 |
| Average | 17.63 |
| Strike-Rate | 108.46 |
Thus, he has clearly struggled in the UAE for his fluency and could face issues again against quality teams like India, Afghanistan and Bangladesh. As mentioned earlier, he is also coming into this tournament after an injury and with very few good memories in the UAE as a Pakistan T20I batter; things could be tricky for Fakhar Zaman.
