Pakistan cricket team has suffered a big blow ahead of the first test against Australia in Perth. Star spinner Abrar Ahmed has been ruled out of the first game, according to reports from ESPNCricinfo. The match will take place from December 14.
Abrar Ahmed suffered a leg injury during the third day of the warm-up match against the Prime Minister’s XI in Canberra. He left the field after bowling 27 overs and did not return to the field because he had leg discomfort.
Abrar Ahmed will undergo an MRI on Saturday (December 9) and even if the results are good, it will likely take some time for him to recover. The mystery spinner is not expected to be fully fit before the first match on December 14.
This will be a big blow for Pakistan as they do not have any player other than Noman Ali in the team. But his style of bowling does not suit Perth conditions. The spinner in 15 Tests has taken 47 wickets.
Abrar Ahmed has been one of the main reasons for Pakistan’s success in Tests so far. He has picked 38 wickets so far in his short career, but has become a vital asset for the team in such a short time. Getting a spinner of his quality will be difficult for Pakistan, considering the dearth of him in the spin bowling department.
Pakistan could consider calling Usama Mir and Shadab Khan into the squad as short-term replacements. The leg-spinners are already in Australia, playing the Big Bash League. They could also consider some of the national artists if Abrar does not recover in time.
Pakistan squad for test series against Australia
Shan Masood (c), Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafiq, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Hasan Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Khurram Shahzad, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Nauman Ali, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Shaheen Afridi, Saud Shakeel, Sarfaraz Ahmed
Here is the schedule for the Test series against Australia:
First Test – Australia vs Pakistan – December 14-18: Perth Stadium
Second Test – Australia vs Pakistan – December 26-30: Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG)
Third Test: Australia vs Pakistan, January 3-7: Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG)
