Pakistan’s ICC World Cup 2023 campaign hindered by the announcement that opener Fakhar Zaman will be unavailable for selection for at least a week owing to a knee injury.
The Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) statement has thrown the team’s lineup planning for the future matches into disarray.
His poor performance against the Netherlands in the first World Cup match resulted in his dropping from the starting lineup. Abdullah Shafique later took his spot in the team.
Fakhar Zaman is now under treatment for a knee injury, according to the PCB. While the nature of his injuries has not been disclosed, he is expected to be out for at least a week.
His absence may have an impact on Pakistan’s batting strategy during the competition.
Fakhar Zaman, only Pakistan batsman to record a double century in one-day international (ODI) cricket. His outstanding performance had established him as a vital player for Pakistan in limited-overs cricket.
However, with his current injury, Pakistan will have to rely on other players to fill the vacancy in batting order.
In addition to Fakhar Zaman’s injury, Pakistan’s team is facing additional health issues. Middle-order batsman Agha Salman suffering with fever, three days before Pakistan’s key match against Australia in Bengaluru.
Six Pakistan players missed training on Tuesday due to fever and flu symptoms after arriving in Bengaluru.
So far Pakistan’s triumphs against the Netherlands and Sri Lanka but a loss to arch-rivals India in Ahmedabad, making the matches against Australia and future games even more critical for Pakistan’s World Cup journey.
As Pakistan works to overcome these obstacles and keep their World Cup hopes alive, the absence of Fakhar Zaman presents an additional challenge as the squad competes against the world’s top cricketing nations in this important tournament.
