NEW DELHI:
Pakistan
's cricket team faced another blow on Sunday as off-spinner
Abrar Ahmed
became the third player in as many days to be ruled out of the upcoming second Test against Australia. This setback comes on the back of a challenging series of injuries for the Pakistani squad.
Abrar Ahmed had already missed the previous Test in Perth due to leg discomfort, and though there were hopes of his recovery, the off-spinner has not regained full fitness in time for the crucial Boxing Day Test at Melbourne.
The
Pakistan Cricket Board
(PCB) released a statement, stating, "Considering the nature of the injury and the workload required from a spinner in a Test match, Abrar is not yet ready and will therefore not be available for the second Test."
The statement further added that Ahmed will undergo a preliminary fitness test on December 25, which will determine his probable return-to-play date.
This development follows the hospitalization of fellow spinner
Noman Ali
, who was diagnosed with acute appendicitis, forcing him out of the remainder of the three-match series against Australia. To fill the void left by Ali, the PCB announced the inclusion of
Mohammad Nawaz
as a replacement.
Adding to Pakistan's woes, pace bowler
Khurram Shahzad
, who made an impressive debut in Perth, has also been ruled out for the last two Tests due to a stress fracture in the ribs and an abdominal muscle tear.
As Pakistan face these setbacks, the team management and fans will be anxiously awaiting updates on the fitness of key players ahead of the crucial encounters against Australia, highlighting the challenging nature of the ongoing Test series.
(With inputs from AFP)
English (US) ·