KARACHI: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Thursday announced that Pakistan’s star player Babar Azam will miss the opening match of the two-match series against Bangladesh due to an injury.
According to the cricket board, the 31-year-old injured his left knee and will miss the series opener from May 8 to 12 at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium.
The PCB further shared that the team’s medical team is currently evaluating Batter’s condition and further updates on his fitness will be shared in due course.
“Pakistan batsman Babar Assam will miss the first Test against Bangladesh due to a left knee injury,” PCB said in a statement.
“The team’s medical team is currently assessing his condition. Further updates will be shared in due course,” it added.
Babar’s unavailability for the upcoming match was a major blow for the tour, as the right-handed batsman was in superb form as he finished as the leading run-scorer of Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11, amassing 588 runs in 11 innings. A hundred and three fifties.
Following his impressive century in the qualifiers against three-time champions Islamabad United, Peshawar led Zalmi to the final.
Pakistan squad for first Test against Bangladesh: Pakistan: Shaun Masood (catch), Abdullah Fazal, Amat Butt, Azan Awais, Hasan Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Khurram Shahzad, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Mohammad Qazi Ghori (wk), Noman Ali, Sajid Khan, Salman Ali Shakeel Agha, Shaheen Shaheed Agha, Saud.