The Pakistan cricket team is getting ready for a crucial match against Australia in the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup. The game is set to be held at Bengaluru’s Chinnaswamy Stadium this Friday. Pakistan is eager to bounce back from a tough loss to India in their previous match, making a win against Australia vital for their tournament hopes.
However, Pakistan has faced an additional challenge as some key players, such as Abdullah Shafique, Shaheen Shah Afridi, and Zaman Khan, have been dealing with viral fever.
These players were notably absent from the optional training session on Tuesday. Fortunately, most of them have recovered and been declared fit after a thorough examination by the medical officer of PCB.
Adding to Pakistan’s concerns, Fakhar Zaman won’t be able to play in the match against Australia due to a knee injury. As a result, Pakistan is likely to stick with their opening combination of Abdullah Shafique and Imam ul Haq. Agha Salman is still battling fever and is unlikely to be included in the playing XI.
Following their loss to India, Pakistan is contemplating a change in their underperforming spin attack. Shadab Khan’s performance hasn’t been up to par, and Pakistan might choose to replace him with Usama Mir.
The expected playing XI for Pakistan is as follows:
Abdullah Shafique
Imam-Ul-Haq
Babar Azam (Captain)
Mohammad Rizwan (Wicketkeeper)
Saud Shakeel
Iftikhar Ahmed
Mohammad Nawaz
Usama Mir
Haris Rauf
Hasan Ali
Shaheen Afridi
