NZ vs PAK | Babar Azam ruled out of T20I series with a right thumb fracture
Pakistan’s skipper Babar Azam has been ruled out of the three-match T20I series against New Zealand with a fracture on his right thumb. While Pakistan have endured a tough start on this tour, they have been dealt with a telling blow to their hopes of winning the three-match series against Kiwis.
One of Pakistan’s mainstays in the white-ball setup and one of the greatest batsmen to have come out of the country in the last decade, Babar Azam has been ruled out of the three-match T20I series against New Zealand with a fracture on his right thumb. The right-hander has fractured his right thumb in the training session and has been subsequently ruled out of cricketing action for the next 12 days.
With the series starting December 18, the right-hander is unlikely to take the field in the three-match T20I series and is likely to be rested ahead of the other games on the schedule. For Pakistan, it will be a big blow, with the Pakistan skipper top-scoring in the recently concluded Pakistan Super League season, with 473 runs, at an average of 59.12 and a strike-rate of 124.14.
"During this period, the doctors will continue to monitor Babar's injury before confirming his participation in the first Test, which starts at Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui, on 26 December," the PCB release said.
The visitors have already endured a tough start in the country, with Misbah-ul-Haq admitting that they even thought of pulling out of the series before they decided to stay. With no lockdown restrictions in New Zealand, the visiting contingent have already had a lot of cases of COVID-19 in the camp, which delayed their training.