After the batter was left on the edge of being ruled out of the competition after worsening the knee injury that had originally put him in out, Pakistan have confessed that they took a risk by inviting Fakhar Zaman to the T20 World Cup.
Fakhar was a late replacement for the leg spinner Usman Qadir in Pakistan’s 15-player team. He was added to the group after it had already been selected. He sat out the losses to India and Zimbabwe before making his comeback against the Netherlands in Perth, where he scored 20 runs off 16 balls despite suffering additional knee issues during the game.
It is almost certain that he will not continue to take part in the competition in any capacity, and it is guaranteed that he will miss Pakistan’s match against South Africa in Sydney on Wednesday. Pakistan must win this match in order to continue competing in the tournament. Mohammad Haris is a member of the travelling reserve squad for Pakistan, if the team needs to add a replacement.
According to Najeebullah Soomro, the doctor for the Pakistani national team, “Obviously, with any knee injury, it takes time to get a 100% recovery.” “Fakhar and the team were aware of the potential consequences of participating in the event, and we were able to get him in.” You saw how well he batted in the last games; unfortunately, in the previous match he had a bit of a twist that made his injury worse. “We were aware of the hazards of the comeback. It is plain to see that he is an essential member of the team. That information was shared with the player, the medical personnel, and the administration of the team. We concluded that we should let him back in. In cricket, as in every other sport, there is an element of risk. Sometimes they are successful, and other times they are not.”
After Pakistan decided to go with an additional bowling option for the second game after the first match against India, Asif Ali was benched since Fakhar’s absence may provide him the opportunity to make his way back into the starting line-up. Haider Ali and Khushdil Shah are two additional choices for batting that are accessible.
In the lead-up to this event, Pakistan was plagued by injuries, the most serious of which surrounded the quick bowler, Shaheen Afridi. There has been much discussion about how fit he is, with Afridi himself stating before the match against the Netherlands that he was still fighting his way back. He has played all three matches in the Super 12s, but the only wicket he must show for his efforts is one. Nevertheless, regarding Afridi’s health, Soomro was adamant that he had satisfied all of the prerequisites for his return.
He explained, “There is a medical fitness, and then there is a separate sort of performance qualities that you need to have while you’re competing.” “From a medical standpoint, we had every reason to believe that he was in perfect condition. You can clearly see how he is getting better with each game, and from our perspective, we are feeling optimistic about how he is progressing. The medical staff, including the specialists who were engaged, have all worked incredibly hard with him, day and night, and from a medical standpoint, we are certain that he is back in full flow.
Even if Pakistan wins both of their remaining group matches against South Africa and Bangladesh, they will still need other results to go in their favour in order to advance to the semi-finals. Bangladesh and South Africa are Pakistan’s final two opponents.
Naseem Shah told her, “Yes, you do feel horrible, but there is nothing you can do about that.” “It’s time for you to move on. The guys have developed a strong bond, which has helped the overall spirit of the team. We are trying to concentrate on the next games and win those games because there is nothing that can be done about the games that have already been played.
