After the heavy loss to India, Pakistan will next take on Australia on Friday (October 20) in Bengaluru. However, rather than focusing on-field matters, the Men in Green are hit with off-field problems. Viral fever hit the Pakistan team, and two of their main players Abdullah Shafique and Shaheen Afridi, are down with fever along with Saud Shakeel and Zaman Khan. Moreover, opener Fakhar Zaman has been ruled out for a week due to a knee injury.
Shafique is currently in quarantine and is being closely monitored. While the youngster’s absence will not prove a body blow as much as Shaheen’s absence. “Some players got fever in the past few days and most of them have fully recovered from it,” the PCB said in a statement. “Those who are in the stage of recovery remain under the team medical panel’s observation.”
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With already Naseem Shah ruled out of the World Cup, the pressure is all the more on Shaheen to deliver with a new ball and an old ball. If the left-arm pacer does not play, then Mohammad Wasim Jnr is likely to play instead. If Shafique does not recover from the fever, then Fakhar Zaman will play.
PAK vs AUS: What to expect?
Pakistan is coming off a heavy defeat against India, while the arch-rival has been the biggest thorn in the flesh for Pakistan, Australia are also not a favorite side for the Men in Green.
Pakistan have a poor record in ODIs against Australia, more so in World Cups, where they failed to beat them.
However, Australia is also off to a shaky start in the WC as they have lost two matches.
But with viral hitting the Pakistan team, they will be forced to alter combinations if their main players don’t recover from viral.
Saud Shakeel might be asked to open with Imam ul Haq if Shafique fails to recover on time.
In place of Shaheen, Pakistan have Mohammad Wasim and Usama Mir.
Pakistan Playing XI vs Australia
- Abdullah Shafique
- Imam ul Haq
- Babar Azam
- Mohammad Rizwan
- Saud Shakeel
- Iftikhar Ahmed
- Mohammad Nawaz
- Shaheen Afridi
- Shadab Khan
- Haris Rauf
- Hassan Ali
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