Fakhar Zaman to Miss Remainder of West Indies Tour with Hamstring Injury
Pakistan’s experienced top-order batter Fakhar Zaman has been ruled out of the remainder of the West Indies tour after sustaining a left hamstring strain during the second T20I in Lauderhill, Florida. The setback sidelines him for both the third T20I and the entire three-match ODI series that follows.
The injury occurred in the 19th over of the West Indies’ innings as Fakhar sprinted across the outfield in pursuit of a boundary. He pulled up in visible discomfort, and a subsequent assessment by the team’s medical staff confirmed a mild strain. As a result, Khushdil Shah was brought in to replace him for the decisive third T20I.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) stated that Fakhar received immediate treatment and will now return home on August 4, a day after the T20I series finale. His rehabilitation will continue at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Lahore, under the supervision of the PCB’s medical team. A decision on whether a replacement will be added to the ODI squad is yet to be made.
Fakhar, who scored 28 and 20 in the first two T20Is, showed flashes of form but couldn’t build on his starts. The nature of his injury is eerily similar to one he suffered earlier this year during the Champions Trophy, when he was ruled out after pulling up while chasing a ball in the opening game. Ironically, on that occasion, Fakhar had replaced Saim Ayub, who had suffered a near-identical injury just weeks prior in South Africa.