T20 World Cup 2022: HUGE blow to Pakistan as Fakhar Zaman replaces THIS leg-spinner in squad

The Pakistan leg-spinner will not be available for selection before October 22

Source: Twitter

Pakistan have made a change to their T20 World Cup 2022 squad as the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced on Friday (October 14) that leg-spinner Usman Qadir has been moved to the travelling reserves and left-handed batter Fakhar Zaman will take his place. The change as statement by the board is due to an injury the spinner suffered from during a T20I clash against England in Karachi on September 25.

PCB said in an official statement, was necessary as Qadir is yet to recover from a hairline fracture on his right thumb that he suffered during the T20I against England in Karachi. The leg-spinner will not be available for selection before October 22. Fakhar, earlier enlisted as a reserve player, will arrive in Brisbane from London on Saturday along with left-arm pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi, who had been undergoing rehabilitation for a right-knee injury.

Update on Pakistan squad for ICC T20 World Cup

Read details here  https://t.co/kt0TW72ptt

— PCB Media (@TheRealPCBMedia) October 14, 2022

The duo will be available for selection in Pakistan`s warm-up matches against England (October 17) and Afghanistan (October 19), during which the team management will assess the left-handed batter Zaman`s fitness after recovering from a knee injury.

Pakistan, the 2009 edition champions, will kick-start their Men`s T20 World Cup campaign in a Super12 clash against arch-rivals India on October 23 at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).

On Friday, they won the T20I tri-series at Christchurch, defeating New Zealand by five wickets at Hagley Oval.

Pakistan Squad for T20 World Cup 2022 (Updated)

Pakistan squad: Babar Azam (captain), Shadab Khan (vice-captain), Asif Ali, Fakhar Zaman, Haider Ali, Haris Rauf, Iftikhar Ahmed, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Shan Masood.

Traveling reserves: Mohammad Haris, Shahnawaz Dahani and Usman Qadir. (With IANS inputs)