Pakistan opener Fakhar Zaman has been ruled out of the remainder of the West Indies tour after sustaining a left hamstring strain during the second T20I in Lauderhill. The injury occurred in the 19th over of the West Indies innings as Fakhar chased a ball in the outfield. A medical assessment confirmed a mild strain, leading to his exclusion from the third T20I and the upcoming three-match ODI series in Trinidad.
Khushdil Shah was named as Fakhar's replacement in the playing XI for the decisive third T20I. Fakhar will return to Pakistan on August 4 and continue his rehabilitation under the supervision of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) medical team at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Lahore. The PCB has not yet announced whether a replacement will be named for the ODI squad.
The 35-year-old left-hander had made promising starts in both T20Is, scoring 28 and 20, but failed to convert them into substantial innings. His injury is reminiscent of a similar hamstring issue he suffered during the Champions Trophy earlier this year, which also forced him out of the tournament.
Ironically, Fakhar had been a replacement for Saim Ayub during that tournament, after Ayub sustained a comparable injury while fielding in South Africa. Ayub spent nearly three months recovering.
With the T20I series level at 1-1, Pakistan will look to clinch the decider before shifting focus to the ODIs in Trinidad.