https://arab.news/ccc9u
- Star batter Muhammad Rizwan was pulled out of Sunday’s match against New Zealand after he felt discomfort in his hamstring
- Pakistani wicketkeeper batter Azam Khan has been ruled out of the New Zealand series after he suffered a tear in his right calf muscle
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said on Sunday that star batter Muhammad Rizwan had been pulled out of the third T20I fixture against New Zealand in Rawalpindi after he felt discomfort in his hamstring, raising fears that the 2009 champions may once again be plagued by injuries before the mega T20 tournament kicks off in June.
Rizwan, who was instrumental in Pakistan’s win in the second T20I over New Zealand on Saturday, was pulled from the match after scoring only 22 runs from 21 balls on Sunday. The PCB later released a statement saying the batter felt discomfort in his right hamstring, and that he would not take part in the rest of the match.
If injured, Rizwan would add to a mounting list of Pakistani players who have suffered injuries in recent times. Wicketkeeper batter Azam Khan was ruled out of the New Zealand series last week after radiology reports confirmed a grade one tear in his right calf muscle.
“Azam will now depart from the Pakistan men’s cricket team and report to the National Cricket Academy, where he will commence his rehabilitation process under the supervision of the PCB medical panel,” the PCB said in a statement on Sunday.
Express Pakistani pacer Ihsanullah has also been out of action since he made his ODI debut for Pakistan in April 2023. Ihsanullah was initially sidelined with an elbow injury which, according to media reports, turned into a significantly more serious as it was misdiagnosed by the PCB’s medical team.
PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi said on Sunday that the cricket body had decided to constitute an independent board “to analyze if Ihsanullah’s medical case was handled properly by PCB medical support team.”
The South Asian team suffered a massive blow last year when right-arm pacer Naseem Shah, a regular member of the Pakistan cricket team in all three formats of the game, suffered a serious shoulder injury and was ruled out of the 50-over World Cup in India months before it was scheduled to take place. Pakistan ended up not qualifying for the semifinal stages of the tournament on account of their poor bowling and batting performances.