Pakistan’s Key Players Out of Last Two T20Is Against New Zealand
On April 24, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced that Mohammad Rizwan and Irfan Khan will not participate in the remaining T20I series against New Zealand.
During the third T20I against the Black Caps, Rizwan had to retire hurt due to an injury, which seemed to be a hamstring issue. Irfan is also reported to have a similar injury, resulting in both players being ruled out for the rest of the series.
The PCB Medical Panel received radiology reports of Mohammad Rizwan and Muhammad Irfan Khan, according to a statement released by PCB on Wednesday. After reviewing these reports and consulting with the Pakistan team management, it was decided to rest both players for the upcoming T20Is against New Zealand on Thursday and Saturday.
The PCB Medical Panel at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) will oversee the rehabilitation of the two players, the statement further added.
No replacements for the injured duo have been announced by Pakistan yet. However, Haseebullah and Usman Khan are available in the squad as potential wicket-keeping options.
The absence of these key players adds to the challenges faced by Pakistan, who have already lost Azam Khan due to injury.
After three matches, the T20I series is currently tied at 1-1, with the first match being abandoned due to rain. Pakistan took the series lead with a remarkable bowling performance that restricted the visitors to just 90 all out in the second T20I.
However, the Kiwis made a strong comeback in the third match, thanks to an exceptional innings from Mark Chapman (87* off 42), enabling them to successfully chase down a target of 178.
The last two T20Is, scheduled for April 25 and 27, will shift the action from Rawalpindi to Lahore.