KOLKATA: Pakistan women’s team received a body blow on Thursday as doctors ruled out injured opener Javeria Khan for the remaining part of the ICC World T20 tournament.

“Javeria will not be able to take part in the event, she has fractured her thumb,” Pakistan women’s team media manager Ayesha Ashhar told this reporter from Delhi.

Javeria was struck on the jaw and collapsed before being stretchered off the field on Wednesday during their group match against the West Indies in Chennai.

Scans last evening had revealed that Javeria was in good shape, and even on Thursday morning the team was hoping for a miracle. “Her jaw is fine,” said Ashhar. “It’s her thumb that is injured.”

The injured player will now “most probably” be replaced, she said, but would not say when they expected Javeria would be considered well enough to fly back home.

Ashhar also declined to say who was being considered as a possible replacement, as “that was up to the selectors”.

The development was a setback that the Pakistanis could have well done without on the eve of their second match against title-contenders India at the Feroze Shah Kotla ground in New Delhi on Saturday.

Sana Mir was not available for comment as “she is concentrating on tomorrow’s game”, said Ashhar.

While Pakistan women were edged out by West Indies in a close game, India on Tuesday brushed aside Bangladesh by 72 runs in the Group B opener in Bengaluru.

Published in Dawn, March 18th, 2016