World Cup: Fakhar Zaman ruled out of Pakistan's match against Australia

A “knee injury” has ruled out opener Fakhar Zaman from Pakistan’s World Cup match against Australia at Bengaluru's M Chinnaswamy Stadium scheduled for tomorrow (Friday).

“Fakhar Zaman is being treated for a knee injury, he is expected to be available for selection next week,” said the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) in a statement.

The board also shared that Agha Salman had developed fever after last day's training and was undergoing recovery from it.

Salman’s fever news comes a day after a fever scare was reported from the Pakistani camp.

However, almost all the players, apart from Muhammad Haris, were seen practicing on Wednesday in Bangalore ahead of the team’s World Cup match against Australia scheduled to be held on October 20.

Haris was advised to rest after he contracted a fever, while other players who had fallen sick earlier were seen in the ground practicing with full force.

On Tuesday six players of the Pakistan team "missed" the optional training session at Bengaluru's M Chinnaswamy Stadium.

The six players who didn't participate in today's training session include Abdullah Shafique, Mohammad Rizwan, Shaheen Afridi, and Salman Ali Agha along with travelling reserves Zaman Khan and Mohammad Haris.

The players who displayed fever symptoms were promptly checked as per the team's health protocol. Additionally, in line with the safety measures, all players were tested for COVID-19 and screened for symptoms related to dengue fever.

However, there is no reason for concern about the health of the players in the Pakistan team, as confirmed by team sources.

Pakistan have registered two wins in three matches during the event, so far, but their only defeat came against arch-rivals India on Saturday.