Live Score
Cricket Teams
Cricket PlayersPakistan handed major setback as key players suffer from fever ahead of crucial Australia tie in World Cup: Report
As Pakistan look forward to getting their campaign back in track, few of their key players have been grappled by high fever.
It hasn't been the best of time for the Pakistan team in the 2023 World Cup. After an impressive start with wins against Netherlands and Sri Lanka, the Babar Azam-led side were humiliated in Ahmedabad with a seven-wicket hammering by host nation India to leave more questions about their bid for a semifinal qualification in the tournament. And as the team looks forward to getting their campaign back in track, few of their key players have been grappled by high fever.
According to reports, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had initially kept a training session for Tuesday morning at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru where the team will take on five-time champions Australia in their next World Cup game on October 20. However, the practice session was eventually cancelled with the move meant to provide adequate rest to the players especially after a tough loss against India last week.
ALSO READ: 'Had he understood the question...': Malik responds to Yousuf's stern criticism over Babar remark; Wasim Akram defends
The players had arrived in the city on Sunday, the day after their loss against India in Ahmedabad. On Monday, as per a video posted on social media by Pakistan cricket team's handle, the players had gone out for a dinner as the likes of Babar Azam and Mohammad Nawaz were seen enjoying the food and ambience.
Amid their preparation for the next big game, few players, as many as five, have been reportedly down with high fever since their arrival in Bengaluru. Opener Abdullah Shafique, who had scored a century against Sri Lanka in Pakistan's record chase, has been grappling with an illness and is yet to recover, while players like Shaheen Afridi and Usama Mir, who had earlier shown symptoms, have recovered.
Pakistan team's media manager later made a statement on the situation saying, as quoted by Cricket Pakistan, " Some players got fever in the past few days and most of them have fully recovered from it. Those who are in the stage of recovery remain under the team medical panel’s observation."
In a bid to avoid further confusion, Pakistan team have arranged a training session on Tuesday evening at the Chinnaswamy stadium in Bengaluru.
Pakistan will be vying to make a comeback after the brutal loss against India, but will be up against Australia, who recently broke the duck against Sri Lanka after losses against India and South Africa in their opening two matches.
