Azam Khan ruled out of New Zealand T20Is

LAHORE: Pakistan wicket-keeper batter Azam Khan has been ruled out of the ongoing five-match T20I series against New Zealand due to injury in his right calf muscle, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said on Saturday.

“Azam Khan has been advised to undergo a 10-day rest following radiology reports confirming a Grade One tear of his right calf muscle,” the PCB said in a statement.

Consequently, the PCB said the right-handed batter will be unable to participate in the ongoing T20I series against New Zealand, which culminates in Lahore on April 27.

Azam will now depart from the Pakistan men’s cricket team and report to the National Cricket Academy, where he will commence his rehabilitation process under the supervision of the PCB medical panel.

The discomfort in Azam’s right calf was first noticed during batting practice in the pre-first T20I training session at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.

For the unversed, the highly-anticipated first T20I between Pakistan and New Zealand was called off due to persistent rain here.

Only a two-ball action was possible at the picturesque Pindi Cricket Stadium as the rain returned after Shaheen Shah Afridi’s early wicket.

As soon as it started raining again, the on-field umpires shook hands with the players and decided to call off the match.

Pakistan squad

Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Saim Ayub, Usman Khan, Iftikhar Ahmed, Azam Khan (wk), Imad Wasim, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Mohammad Amir, Abbas Afridi, Abrar Ahmed, Fakhar Zaman, Irfan Khan Niazi, Usama Mir, Zaman Khan

Reserves: Haseebullah, Mohammad Ali, Agha Salman, Sahibzada Farhan, Mohammad Wasim Jr.

New Zealand squad

Michael Bracewell (c), Mark Chapman, Josh Clarkson, Jacob Duffy, Dean Foxcroft, Ben Lister, Cole McConchie, Jimmy Neesham, Will O’Rourke, Tim Robinson, Ben Sears, Tim Seifert (WK), Ish Sodhi, Tom Blundell, Zak Foulkes.