Pakistan opener Fakhar Zaman was ruled out of the Champions Trophy on Thursday with an abdominal muscle injury and Imam-ul-Haq has been called up as his replacement.

Pakistan captain Mohammad Rizwan said wayward bowling in the death overs and Fakhar Zaman's injury robbed them of momentum in the Champions Trophy opener against New Zealand on Wednesday.

The statement from Fakhar Zaman came shortly amid reports claiming that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) advised the batter against any hasty retirement plans.

With Fakhar Zaman out of the Champions Trophy, reports suggest Imam-ul-Haq is set to join the squad as his replacement.

With Fakhar Zaman out, Pakistan made one change in their lineup: Imam-ul-Haq, Babar Azam, Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan (c & wk), Salman Agha, Tayyab Tahir, Khushdil Shah, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah,

Pakistan cricketer Fakhar Zaman is an aggressive batter and has also been in form lately, but unfortunately he could miss the entire tournament.

Imam-ul-Haq replaces Fakhar Zaman in Pakistan's Champions Trophy squad after Fakhar sustained an oblique injury. The ICC approved the replacement, and