Pakistan will miss the services of senior batter Fakhar Zaman for the remainder of the ongoing ICC T20 World Cup 2022. Fakhar aggravated his knee injury during their last game against the Netherlands and has been ruled out of the competition.
Fakhar sustained a posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) injury to his right knee. He wasn’t part of the original squad owing to this particular injury, however, was named as replacement in the middle of his recovery.
Confirming the development of Fakhar Zaman being ruled out, Pakistan team doctor Najeebullah Soomro said, “Fakhar and the team understood the risks of coming into the tournament” and now will have to do without him in the crucial must-win match against South Africa.
“We were aware of the risks of the comeback,” Soomro said. “He is obviously an important player for the team. The player, the medical staff and the team management were aware of that. We decided to bring him back in. In cricket, and any sport, we take risks. Sometimes they pay off, sometimes they don’t.
“Obviously with any knee injury it takes time to have 100% recovery. Fakhar and the team understood the risks of coming into the tournament and we got him in. You saw how he performed with batting in the last match, unfortunately in the last match he had a bit of a twist which aggravated his injury,” he added.
Mohammad Haris replaces Fakhar Zaman in Pakistan’s T20 World Cup squad
Mohammad Haris named as Fakhar Zaman's replacement for the remainder of #T20WorldCup
He is available for selection in game against South Africa#PAKvSA pic.twitter.com/GHZuhB5XhX
— Cricket Pakistan (@cricketpakcompk) November 3, 2022
Young Mohammad Haris has been drafted into the main squad for the remainder of the T20 World Cup. Haris was already a part of Pakistan’s camp as one of the travelling reserves alongside Shahnawaz Dahani and Usman Qadir.
He has played only four ODIs and a T20I for Pakistan and he will have the enormous task of filling the boots of Zaman, a player with an experience of 72 T20Is and more than 1000 runs to his name.
Pakistan will lock horns with South Africa in a must-win game at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Thursday, November 3.
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