PAK vs NED LIVE: Babar Azam confirms Shaheen Afridi RULED OUT: What comes as a major blow for Pakistan, premier pace bowler, Shaheen Shah Afridi has not only been ruled out of Netherlands tour but Asia Cup 2022 as well. The pacer was nursing a knee injury and was not part of the squad for first two ODIs against Netherlands. Now, PCB has confirmed that he will miss the Asia Cup Cricket as well. Follow PAK vs NED Live updates on InsideSport.IN
“Shaheen Shah Afridi has been advised 4-6 weeks rest by the PCB Medical Advisory Committee and independent specialists following latest scans and reports. This means Shaheen has been ruled out of the ACC T20 Asia Cup and home series against England, but is expected to return to competitive cricket in October with the New Zealand T20I tri-series, which will be followed by the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Australia 2022,” the PCB said in a statement.
The three-match series is part of ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Super League where the visiting side occupies fifth spot with 90 points. Babar’s side will be aiming to win all three matches to grab second position in the points table.
PAK vs NED LIVE: Not just Netherlands tour, Shaheen Afridi RULED OUT Asia Cup 2022 as well, Follow LIVE Updates
A couple of milestones are on the cards for Pakistan’s premier players. Number one ranked ODI player Babar Azam needs one more century to become the only Pakistan captain to score 10 tons in international cricket. Wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan requires 18 more runs to complete 1,000 ODI runs.
Imam-ul-Haq, who trails his skipper Babar on second spot in the ICC batting rankings, will be looking to continue his rich vein of form after amassing seven fifty-plus scores on the trot in ODIs. He was declared player of the series for scores of 65, 72 and 62 in Pakistan’s 3-0 win against the West Indies at home in the three-match ODI series in June 2022.
Pakistan will be without the services of world number three ODI bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi, who is not available for the first two games due to knee injury.
The touring side had their first training session in Schiedam cricket ground, but due to rain they were compelled to conduct the second training session in indoors facilities in Rotterdam.
Reflecting on team’s preparation ahead of the series, Babar Azam said: “It’s great to be here in Netherlands for the first time. The weather and the hospitality is very good here and we are being looked after really well.
PAK vs NED LIVE: Not just Netherlands tour, Shaheen Afridi RULED OUT Asia Cup 2022 as well, Follow LIVE Updates
“I do follow Netherlands cricket and I am impressed with their passion for the game. I am very hopeful that the series starting tomorrow will go a long way to promote the game in this region.
“We will not become complacent here and the players are ready to express themselves at the ground. In the absence of Shaheen Shah Afridi, this is an opportunity for youngsters to come forward and showcase their skills.
“We are looking forward to a good contest between bat and ball and I am hopeful the fans will turn up in numbers to witness the series.”
Pakistan squad for Netherlands ODIs – Babar Azam (captain) (Central Punjab), Shadab Khan (vice-captain) (Northern), Abdullah Shafique (Balochistan), Fakhar Zaman (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Haris Rauf (Northern), Imam-ul-Haq (Balochistan), Khushdil Shah (Southern Punjab), Mohammad Haris (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Mohammad Nawaz (Northern), Mohammad Rizwan (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Mohammad Wasim Jnr (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Naseem Shah (Southern Punjab), Salman Ali Agha (Southern Punjab), Shaheen Shah Afridi (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Shahnawaz Dahani (Sindh) and Zahid Mehmood (Sindh)
PAK vs NED LIVE: Not just Netherlands tour, Shaheen Afridi RULED OUT Asia Cup 2022 as well, Follow LIVE Updates
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