Pakistan pace-bowling all-rounder Mohammad Wasim Jr. has been ruled out of the upcoming three-match T20I series against Bangladesh due to a side strain, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) confirmed on Tuesday.
The 23-year-old cricketer sustained the injury during the 10th edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) and has not recovered in time to participate in the series. Sources earlier revealed that medical experts advised Wasim to take at least a week’s rest. He is currently undergoing rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Lahore.
To fill the void left by Wasim, the PCB has called up fast bowler Mohammad Abbas Afridi. The 22-year-old was one of the standout performers in the most recent PSL season, finishing as the joint second-highest wicket-taker with 17 wickets in 11 matches at an average of 23.52.
Bangladesh T20I Series against Pakistan
Afridi, who has already featured in 20 T20Is for Pakistan, has taken 33 international wickets and is seen as one of the country’s most promising young pacers.
The three-match T20I series between Pakistan and Bangladesh will be held at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, with the opening match scheduled for Wednesday at 9:00 PM Bangladesh time. The second and third matches are slated for May 30 and June 1, respectively.
Bangladesh Squad:
- Liton Das (captain)
- Tanjid Hasan Tamim
- Parvez Hossain Emon
- Mehedi Hasan Miraz
- Nazmul Hossain Shanto
- Towhid Hridoy
- Shamim Hossain
- Zakir Ali Anik
- Rishad Hossain
- Sheikh Mehedi (vice-captain)
- Tanvir Islam
- Khaled Ahmed
- Hasan Mahmud
- Tanjim Hasan Shakib
- Shariful Islam
Pakistan Squad:
- Salman Ali Agha (captain)
- Shadab Khan (vice-captain)
- Abrar Ahmed
- Faheem Ashraf
- Fakhar Zaman
- Haris Rauf
- Hasan Ali
- Hasan Nawaz
- Hussain Talat
- Khushdil Shah
- Mohammad Haris (wicketkeeper)
- Abbas Afridi
- Mohammad Irfan Khan
- Naseem Shah
- Sahibzada Farhan (wicketkeeper)
- Saim Ayub
The series will serve as a key opportunity for both teams to test new talents and fine-tune their combinations ahead of future international fixtures.