Fakhar Zaman injury update: Will Pakistan opener play against India in Champions Trophy?
Pakistan were dealt a a huge blow as Fakhar Zaman got injured on the second ball of the match while fielding. He returned to the field and batted but didn’t look fully fit. Will he play a marquee clash against India? Here’s an update from Pakistan captain Mohammad Rizwan.
Pakistan are sweating over their opener Fakhar Zaman’s injury after going down to New Zealand by 60 runs in the opening game of the ICC Champions Trophy. Fakhar got injured on the second ball of the match while fielding. He returned to the field later in the innings but didn’t look entirely fit causing concerns among the fans.
During his painstaking innings in the 321-run chase, Fakhar could only score 24 runs off 41 deliveries after coming out to bat at number four. He wasn’t allowed to bat for a stipulated time according to the rules set by ICC as he was off the field due to an internal injury. After the match, Pakistan captain Mohammad Rizwan was asked to give an update on the left-hander’s injury and he didn’t look entirely confident.
“Not sure yet, he hasn’t got his result yet. He is in some pain,” Rizwan said while admitting that Fakhar not opening disturbed their plans in the powerplay overs. “We lost momentum twice, first in the death overs and then in the powerplay with the bat. Losing Fakhar Zaman [as opener] was crucial,” Rizwan added.
For the unversed, Fakhar’s absence hurt Pakistan in the chase as they could only score 22 runs in the first 10 overs and lost Saud Shakeel and skipper Rizwan in the process. Pakistan batters hit only two fours, both by Babar Azam, in the powerplay and played out a staggering 47 dot balls.
The marquee clash between India and Pakistan is set to take place on Sunday (February 23) in Dubai. It is a do or die game for Pakistan to stay alive in the tournament. Meanwhile, India will get their campaign underway today against Bangladesh and will be keen on adding two points to their kitty.
