TRINIDAD: Pakistan’s rising Test opener Abdullah Fazal has been ruled out of the upcoming Test series against the West Indies and England due to a lower back injury.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said the injury occurred on Thursday during a training session at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Trinidad, where the first Test match against the West Indies will be played.
After an MRI scan and medical examination, the team’s medical panel has advised him to undergo rehabilitation, while no decision has been made yet regarding a replacement player.
The 23-year-old Abdullah Fazal made his Test debut against Bangladesh in May and scored half-centuries in both innings of his first match.
He also remained not out in both innings in the warm-up match against the West Indies Select XI, scoring 50 and 48 runs respectively.
In his absence, middle-order batsman Owais Zafar’s Test debut prospects have brightened, while Imam-ul-Haq is expected to be part of the opening pair again.
National captain Babar Azam wished Abdullah Fazal a speedy recovery, saying that he is a talented and confident young player whose exclusion from the team is a big loss for Pakistan.
