It’s going from bad to worse for Babar Azam! After returning to lead the Pakistan cricket team for just three matches, his former opening partner and their wicketkeeper, Mohammad Rizwan, have been ruled out of the PAK vs NZ T20I series. The keeper suffered a hamstring injury in the 3rd T20I and may be out for the next two series before the T20 World Cup 2024 as well.
Rizwan had experienced some discomfort in his right hamstring and had retired hurt as a precautionary measure to not further aggravate his injury. He’d scored a scratchy 23 (22) and Pakistan never recovered from that slowdown in the middle over, losing the match to New Zealand’s second-string team by 7 wickets.
Mohammad Rizwan out of action for 1 month
Following his injury, the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) Rizwan’s scan report isn’t that positive. According to Cricket Pakistan, after consulting with doctors in the United Kingdom (UK), PCB’s medical panel has decided to rest him for the ongoing PAK vs NZ T20I series.
He’s expected to be out for 2-4 weeks, which has also cast a shadow of doubt over his participation in the 3-match T20I series against Ireland and the 5-match T20I series against England in May. If he’s not fit by then, he could also miss the first few matches of the T20 World Cup 2024.
Pakistan Cricket Team schedule for T20 World Cup 2024
Match | Date | Venue |
---|---|---|
Pakistan vs USA | June 6 | Dallas |
India vs Pakistan | June 9 | New York |
Pakistan vs Canada | June 11 | New York |
Pakistan vs Ireland | June 16 | Lauderhill |