DUBAI – Pakistan’s in-form batters Mohammad Rizwan and Shoaib Malik misseda training session on Wednesday as the duo caught the flu, ahead of acrucial semi-final against Australia.
Reports in local media said both players were tested for novel coronaviruswhile the tests came negative. PCB officials termed their illness as ‘lightflu and fever’ and the duo was initially advised to delay training.
Men in Green are not ‘concerned’ at the moment about their participation inthe semifinal, and will be reviewing their status shortly while sourcessaid that both players will have to pass a fitness test before the game.
The opening batsman Rizwan is Pakistan’s leading run-scorers, with 214 runsagainst his name, and his absence will hurt Shaheens at the top of theorder and behind the stumps.
Meanwhile, some reports in mainstream media claimed that former captainSarfaraz Ahmed will replace Rizwan if the latter remains unfit – but hewill play lower down the order. Fakhar Zaman will reportedly open theinnings with skipper Babar Azam.
Seasoned player Malik, who scored the fastest fifty in Pakistan’s T20Ihistory against Scotland in 18 balls, is likely to be replaced by youngplayer Haider Ali.
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In the meanwhile, the PCB and team players are hopeful that both playerswill recover in time for the match.
Green Shirts have so far played five matches with the same squad in the ICCmega event and officials and players are in no mood to make changes aheadof crucial games.
Babar-led squad is set to take on Australia in the T20 World Cup semi-finaltoday (Thursday) in Dubai the playing XI remained undefeated in the Super12 stage of the tournament, where they beat India, New Zealand, Scotland,Afghanistan, and Namibia,.
