Rizwan ruled out of T20 series against New Zealand

LAHORE: Mohammad Rizwan and Mohammad Irfan Khan Niazi have been ruled out of the remainder of Pakistan’s T20I series against New Zealand.

The Pakistan cricket Board (PCB) in a statement released on Wednesday said they had received radiology reports for the pair and decided to pull them out of the series.

However, the nature of the injury was not mentioned in the release but it could be understood that Rizwan might have suffered a hamstring as he was seen struggling while bating in the third T2OI.

The PCB has downplayed the extent of his injury, saying he is expected to be out for no more than a week to ten days, and that the injury does not imperil any future tours as things stand.

“PCB Medical Panel yesterday received Radiology reports of Mohammad Rizwan and Mohammad Irfan Khan. Ater reviewing the reports and in consultation with the Pakistan team management, it has been decided to rest the two players from Thursday’s and Saturday’s T20IS against New Zealand,” read a PCB statement on Wednesday.

“The two players will work on their rehabilitation with the PCB Medical Panel at NCA,” it further added.

While there was no sign of discomfort for Niazi during that game, he is also believed to have picked up a hamstring niggle, resulting in the PCB pulling him out of the series. The injuries add woes to the Pakistan squad as Azam Khan has been already ruled out of the series ater picking up a grade-one tear in his right calf muscle.

While Haseebullah, who made his sole international appearance in a T20 against New Zealand earlier this year, was called up as cover for Azam, no further replacements have been announced.

Pakistan do have wicketkeeping options in Rizwan’s absence. While Haseebullah has not featured yet, he is a wicketkeeper-bater. Usman Khan also kept wicket for two games for the Multan Sultans earlier this year in the Pakistan Super League.

With the series in question in Lahore, Pakistan’s injuries have occurred at a worst moment. Ater suffering a humiliating loss in the second Twenty20 International, New Zealand leveled the series in Pindi, with the remaining two games set to be played in Lahore.

New Zealand’s win over Pakistan in the third T20I has raised familiar questions around Pakistan’s approach to T20 cricket, with Babar Azam defending Pakistan’s bating performance and rejecting suggestion that a middle-overs slowdown played a part in his side’s defeat.

“We did well with the bat,” Babar said ater the match.

“I don’t think it [the slowdown] made much of a difference because we had caught up in the end. You can say we were ten runs short. Unfortunately, we had a bit of a setback with (Mohammad) Rizwan’s injury because it wasn’t easy for new baters. But Shadab (Khan) recovered well and had an outstanding partnership with Irfan (Khan).

The Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore has consistently offered a balanced contest between bat and ball.