exclude Farha Zaman eleven from pakistan Second T20I against Australia It sparked widespread debate among fans and former cricketers. The match was played at the iconic Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, with Pakistan winning the toss and electing to bat first, but Fakhar’s absence became one of the biggest talking points even before the first ball was bowled.

Fakhar Zaman has no place in Pakistan’s starting XI

Fakhar Zaman was left out after a disappointing performance in the series opener, scoring just 10 runs from 16 deliveries.

Meanwhile, former Pakistan captain Younis Khan came out in support of Fakhar, saying he disagreed with the decision to drop the batsman. Younis stressed that Fakhar’s true value lies at the top of the order and that his skill set is underutilized when he is asked to bat lower down the order.

Younis is confident that if Fakhar is allowed to open the innings, he can guarantee an explosive start in the powerplay – arguably more aggressive than Australia’s approach. According to him, Fakhar’s natural instincts and batting skills are best suited for the opening position where he can take advantage of the defensive restrictions.

Younis further explained that pushing Fakhar to No. 4 or 5 is not conducive to the batsman’s natural game. While some middle-order batsmen can adapt to the opening order, opposite batsmen tend to be more challenging.

He added that even without a starting spot, Fakhar should be available at No. 3, a position in which he had previously delivered match-winning performances for Pakistan.

Younis Khan backs Fakhar Zaman, urges management to resume his natural role 🇵🇰🏏

Fakhar Zaman remains Pakistan’s rare talent who can win matches single-handedly, but his influence is waning due to mismanagement of his role in the team.

Shaping Pakistan… pic.twitter.com/8v3OIZvU7s

— Cricket Village 🇬🇧🇵🇰🇦🇺🇮🇳🇿🇦🇧🇩🇱🇰 (@MSohailAfzal10) January 31, 2026

Also read: PAK vs AUS – Salman Ali Agha announces Pakistan’s No. 3 batsman for T20 World Cup 2026

PAK vs AUS, 2nd T20I: Starting line-ups of both teams

Australia: Matthew Short, Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh (c), Cameron Green, Josh Inglis (wk), Matt Renshaw, Cooper ConnollyXavier Bartlett, Sean Abbott, Matthew Kooneman, Adam Zampa

Pakistan: Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Agha (centre), Babar Azam, Usman Khan (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Shadab Khan, Faheem Ashraf, Abrar Ahmed, Naseem Shah, Usman Tariq.

Also read: PAK vs AUS, 2nd T20I, Match Prediction – Who will win today’s match between Pakistan and Australia?