Pakistan received a massive setback ahead of the upcoming ODI series against the West Indies as opening batter Fakhar Zaman was ruled out of the series due to suffering a left hamstring injury. The veteran player suffered a blow during the second T20I while fielding. Upon medical assessment, it was revealed that the southpaw suffered a mild strain.
The medical staff is currently monitoring the progress of Fakhar, and the initial treatment has been provided by the medical staff. The opener will return to Pakistan on August 04 for further treatment and continue his rehabilitation process under the supervision of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) medical team at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Lahore.
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Notably, Fakhar was called into the white-ball side after putting on a strong performance in domestic tournaments. An explosive batter, the southpaw has a natural ability to bat aggressively at the top and take the game away from the opponents. While young batter Saim Ayub's rise threatened to derail the veteran's career, the selectors showed faith in him and selected him for the white-ball tour of the West Indies. However, an unfortunate injury has cut short his ODI series against the relatively out-of-form Windies.
Pakistan aims to replicate the T20I series form in the three-match ODI series against the West Indies
For the unversed, Pakistan won the three-match T20I series 2-1, with a strong all-round showing with bat and ball. Now, the Men in Green would be hoping to replicate the same form in the three-match ODI series, starting on Friday, August 08. Pakistan have a strong squad for the 50-over side, with Salman Ali Agha leading the side.
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Meanwhile, West Indies head coach Darren Sammy aims to put on a good performance in the three ODI matches against Pakistan. The former Windies captain said the aim is to play well and qualify for the ODI World Cup 2027.
“While qualifying is our immediate goal, maintaining a winning mentality and team cohesion is essential for long-term success.
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“The upcoming matches against teams like Pakistan, who are ranked higher, provide crucial opportunities to earn valuable ranking points to improve our standing ahead of the World Cup.”
