Mohammed Hafeez ruled out of National T20 league with dengue, doubtful for T20 World Cup

Mohammed Hafeez has been diagnosed with dengue during the National T20 Championship, and he was ruled out of the tournament. The former Pakistan captain is currently undergoing treatment at his home in Lahore, after he tested positive for dengue. It takes around a month to regenerate platelets and make a full recovery from dengue, which makes Hafeez’s participation in T20 World Cup doubtful. 

Earlier, Hafeez missed the first half of the National T20 Championship after suffering from food poisoning in Rawalpindi. The veteran batsman was set to play for the Central Punjab team, led by Babar Azam, but the disease ruled out him from the entire tournament. Despite his inconsistent run in T20I’s since 2020, Hafeez was called to the national squad for the T20 World Cup, which begins on October 17 in UAE and Oman. He is currently the second most capped T20I player, with 113 appearances, three less than his fellow countryman Shoaib Malik.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has set October 10 as the deadline for the teams to make a change in their announced squads. 

A reliable source in the Pakistan Cricket Board said that the medical team of the PCB is keeping a close watch on Hafeez's current health status and recovery.

Pakistan will begin their campaign against arch-rivals India on October 24, in Dubai.