In a significant development for the Pakistan cricket team, opener Fakhar Zaman and leg-spinner Usama Mir have successfully regained their fitness just in time for the Green Shirts’ pivotal showdown against Australia, scheduled for October 20 in Bengaluru, India, during the ICC World Cup 2023, according to reliable sources.
Reports from insiders familiar with the situation have confirmed that both opener Zaman and Mir are now available for selection in the lineup for the much-anticipated clash against Australia. Fakhar Zaman had been battling a knee injury, while Usama Mir had been sidelined due to a fever.
After arriving in Bengaluru from Ahmedabad, Pakistan is set to take a well-deserved rest today, with preparations for the upcoming match set to resume tomorrow.
Pakistan has posted two victories in three matches in the tournament thus far, with their lone defeat coming at the hands of arch-rivals India in a Saturday encounter.
It’s worth noting that India continued their impressive form in the ICC World Cup 2023, securing a resounding seven-wicket victory over Pakistan. Star batsman Rohit Sharma once again showcased his prowess, delivering a brilliant performance with a top score of 86 runs from 63 balls, including 12 boundaries.
Apart from the 36-year-old Rohit Sharma, Shreyas Iyer played a crucial role as the second-highest scorer for the Indian side, contributing 53 runs.
The dominating batting performance by the Indian team allowed them to chase down the 192-run target in the 31st over with an astonishing 118 balls to spare, significantly bolstering their net run rate (NRR).
This victory marked India’s record eighth consecutive win against arch-rivals Pakistan in the history of World Cup matches.
Here is the remaining schedule for Pakistan’s matches in the ICC World Cup 2023:
- October 20 – vs Australia in Bengaluru
- October 23 – vs Afghanistan in Chennai
- October 27 – vs South Africa in Chennai
- October 31 – vs Bangladesh in Kolkata
- November 4 – vs New Zealand in Bengaluru (Day match)
- November 11 – vs England in Kolkata
Matches during the day will commence at 10:00 am Pakistan Standard Time (PST), while all other fixtures will be day-night encounters, commencing at 01:30 pm PST.
In the event that Pakistan qualifies for the semi-finals, they will compete in Kolkata. However, if India secures a spot in the semi-finals, they will play in Mumbai, except when facing Pakistan, in which case the match will take place in Kolkata.
Here is the Pakistan squad for the ICC World Cup 2023:
- Babar Azam (c)
- Abdullah Shafique
- Fakhar Zaman
- Imam-ul-Haq
- Iftikhar Ahmed
- Mohammad Rizwan (wk)
- Shadab Khan
- Mohammad Nawaz
- Usama Mir
- Haris Rauf
- M Wasim Jnr
- Hasan Ali
- Shaheen Shah Afridi
- Saud Shakeel
- Salman Ali Agha
Travelling reserves: Mohammad Haris, Abrar Ahmed, Zaman Khan.
