Hip strain rules Irfan out of South Africa tour

E-Paper | April 28, 2026

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan fast bowler Mohammad Irfan on Saturday was ruled out of the short tour of South Africa after developing a hip strain during the Twenty20 international against the Proteas on Friday.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) named uncapped fast bowler Bilawal Bhatti as a replacement in a 17-member squad for the two Twenty20s and three one-day internationals which begins with a Twenty20 at Johannesburg on Wednesday.

Misbah-ul-Haq has been retained as captain for the three ODIs after losing the series 4-1 against South Africa in the United Arab Emirates.

Mohammad Hafeez, who did not score a run in Pakistan's 2-0 rout against the Proteas in Twenty20s, will continue to lead in the shorter format.

The PCB said that Irfan will stay in the UAE for medical checkups.

Irfan fell over in his follow through while bowling his second over on Friday, and walked off the field in pain.

He returned to bat at No. 11, but was visibly in discomfort while running between the wickets as Pakistan lost the second Twenty20 by six runs.

Surprisingly Pakistan selectors kept faith with the same set of batsmen who struggled against South Africa in the UAE.

Allrounders Abdul Razzaq and Shoaib Malik, who both made an unimpressive return to the team for the Twenty20s, got another opportunity to strike forms along with struggling Shahid Afridi, Umar Akmal and Nasir Jasmhed.

Cape Town will host the second Twenty20 on Nov. 22 and the first one-day international on Nov. 24. The remaining two ODIs will be played at Port Elizabeth (Nov. 27) and at Centurion (Nov. 30).

It will be the third bilateral one-day series between the two countries this year. Pakistan lost 3-2 against the Proteas in South Africa earlier this year before losing in the UAE. Pakistan is yet to beat South Africa in seven bilateral one-day series.

The just-completed series saw South Africa jump to No. 3 in the world Twenty20 rankings, and Pakistan fall to No. 4.

Squad: Misbah-ul-Haq (captain ODIs), Mohammad Hafeez (captain T20s), Ahmad Shehzad, Umar Akmal, Asad Shafiq, Umar Amin, Shahid Afridi, Abdul Razzaq, Shoaib Malik, Sohaib Maqsood, Sohail Tanvir, Anwar Ali, Junaid Khan, Saeed Ajmal, Abdul Rehman, Nasir Jamshed, Bilawal Bhatti.

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Iqbal

Nov 16, 2013 03:58pm

Same team, same opponent, same results.

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vijaychennai

Nov 16, 2013 04:32pm

Afridi again!!!!!!!!! PCB is out of its mind.

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Dr. Salaria, Aamir Ahmad

Nov 16, 2013 04:56pm

What a joke? With these players especially the leaders, it will be almost impossible to beat the South Africans on their home soil. Another defeat on the horizon for the green-shirts. The inept hand picked PCB is useless and consists of few cronies whose only job is to promote and protect their vested interests. May God Almighty save the Pakistani cricket from total destruction and annihilation. Aameen, Tsum Aameen.

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Guest63

Nov 16, 2013 05:12pm

Old , tried and tested , Very dark horses YET failing repeatedly by any standard , What Hafeez , Shaib and Razzaq , afridi had to do in the team . Which sensible selector can even think of selecting them when they failed on the flat tracks of UAE against the most dangerous bowling attacks that they will come out with flying colors on fast bouncy and swinging tracks of SA ? SA will make a meal of these old rotten bones , as if they have not done it n UAE ??? The selectors are not doing their job , but Scratching some ones backs in order to get longevity in their jobs , Uncles , Father in laws , buddies are once again at full work to get few more millions earned by their failing nephews, sons and friends

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Ja id Shirazi

Nov 16, 2013 05:46pm

Inertia is deeply embedded at PCB, hence the resistance to change. The selectors need to be replaced, otherwise the present predicament will continue.

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Zia

Nov 16, 2013 06:06pm

Entire nation witnessed how Pakistani team performed in recently conducted series...We also come to the conclusion that players are more concerned for retention of their place in the squad against national honor...Despite such poor performance if same team is elected to represent Pakistan than with due sorry to fellow countrymen...I also don't support the Pakistani cricket team...I wish and pray they loose again and again...Long Live Indian Cricket Team..

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Anila

Nov 16, 2013 07:50pm

Recipe to kill the game in Pakistan. It's more like a tradition in Pakistan that each and every new ruler is worst than the ones they replace and same goes for PCB. How many of us thought that Ijaz Butt was the worst administrator? Could some one explain to the nation that what Umar Amin is doing in the team and how has he earned it to be there after some 20 matches without a single score. On the other note, same question can be asked about at least 5 of them so let it be. I know, my stronger words won't get printed but I will recommend a word called "Lalochezia" to my fellow fans of cricket. In medical dictionary it is described as, lal

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NKhan

Nov 16, 2013 08:29pm

Mind boggling selection. Huge injustice to Fawad Alam who is the most deserving batsman to be recalled in ODIs. Akmals, Hafeez, Amins will never win you matches.

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nasim khan

Nov 16, 2013 08:51pm

Congratulation to the PCB and the Selectors for keep hurting the sentiment of the Pakistan Cricket Lovers, Long live PCB and Long Live the Selectors

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Afif Naeem

Nov 16, 2013 08:58pm

Where is Umar Gul?

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Adeel

Nov 16, 2013 09:14pm

If Misbah keeps saying out batting is failing us and batsmen not applying themselves, so we go in with the same batsment into SA? No batting changes? I think some of these people really hate Fawad Alam...he just scored another unbeaten century and still doesn't get a chance. Umar Amin hasn't made one significant score in so many chances in 2 tours. What's the point of watching Pakistan cricket team play?

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Bill Gates

Nov 16, 2013 09:14pm

One thing I don't understand; Shahid and Hafeez in both ODI and T20 did not perform that well. How come Pakistani Selector are still want these two again in Limited over to tour SA. I believe there are other Young Players in Pakistan who can show what they can do. This is a great time to sent Young players who are coming up and prepare for World Cup, specially to try out Openers.

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Shahid

Nov 16, 2013 09:28pm

It might be a good selection if the idea behind it is a good one. The chairman may have thought that he doesn't want some new players to face SA on their wickets and fail. He might have planned that let all the old fail again one more time so that he can change it all togather in the NeXT series against SL without any one crying of the decision. So lets expect, Haris Sohail and Sami Aslam to start against SL. Hats off to the chairman if this is the plan. Can't be any other reason for sure.

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khawaja ikram ulhaq

Nov 16, 2013 11:16pm

the selection is pretty ordinary to say the least...just two changes with both players coming in who are bowlers who can bat..alrounders are probably not teh only problem seeing how shoaib malik, afridi and razzak have played...but one sees teh main problem as teh batsmen...umar amin, asad shafik should have been replaced with umar akmal just playing one good inning...and hafeez is almost a bowler only now...one would have preferred to see teh selection of two new batsmen and many have favored sharjeel khan and sami aslam...while teh selection committee could have other ideas about the replacement batsmen it should be noted that sohaib maqsood was teh only one who scored three times out of four and after that there was shezad and misbah who also became disheartened in the last two matches...one does not understand why they persist with hafeez as a top order batsmen after failing in all the recent tours

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Burki

Nov 17, 2013 02:20am

@Anila: before asking about Umar who's barely into playing his 20 international matches, we should be asking what the failed players like Hafeez, Afridi, Malik & Razzaq are doing being in the team - each one of them have on average 8-9 years of playing international cricket experience and not a single one of them as a batsman can really be called anything beyond a club level player.

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Koko

Nov 17, 2013 07:49am

What?!!.. no Imran Farhat.. get rid of Saeed Ajmal or Misbah.. add Imran Farhat and we have a perfect team.

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Naj

Nov 17, 2013 09:51am

There is something wrong with selectors here, they have a change in bowling attack but not a single batsman is axed is surprising to me...PATHETIC...

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Mansoor

Nov 17, 2013 10:21am

Hi, First of all we should drop Shahid Afridi with immediate affect since he is useless...after 350+ outings in ODIs, he does not seem to have gained any experience to help the team when in need. He is not worthy of a place for bowling; certainly not for his sub-standard batting and is simply a waste of space!! Secondly selectors should stop doing favours to Shoaib Malik since being the husband of Sania Mirza (who is of no significance to Pakistan) does not give him credentials to play in the team. Mohammad Hafeez should be put on notice; if he does not perform remove him from captaincy. Despite of what Misbah says, he is the captain and needs to take responsibility for the team he leads...if he does not like the selection, please give your opinion to selectors and do not moan afterwards. Else leave the captaincy. Finally Dave Whatmore should be fired !! He should not have the luxury to decide when he goes...if this were football, he would have been out of the team by now based on his worst performance.

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Ossy

Nov 17, 2013 10:37am

Old tired players - old tired results: Pakistan gets thumped in the series. Why are our complaints falling on deaf ears? We need to find 4 specialist batsmen to replace: Asad Shafiq, Shoaib Malik; Umar Amin; and Abdul Razzaq.

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Ossy

Nov 17, 2013 11:23am

After Pakistan team returns from SA Tour, PCB should organize a 5 match One-Day series with a Pakistan A Team: PAKISTAN A TEAM (none of the following are visiting South Africa): 1- SAMI ASLAM; 2- BABR AZAM / SHARJEEL KHAN; 3- AZHAR ALI; 4- FAWAD ALAM; 5- YOUNUS KHAN (C); 6- HARIS SOHAIL / IMRAN BUTT; 7- HAMMAD AZAM / ZULFIQAR BABAR; 8- MOHD RIZWAN (WK); 9- UMAR GUL / WAHAB RIAZ; 10- HASAN RAZA; 11- CHEEMA / ZIA HAQ.

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ONLYPUNJABISINTHETEAM

Nov 17, 2013 11:36am

Why cant the Pakistani Players RETIRE with "HONOR".Why do they have to be kicked out at 65 years of age when they are set for life. Don't they see players like Tendulkar,Ricky Ponting,etc retiring? I can just imagine,if Pakistan had players of Tendulkar's caliber. they would be playing till they were carried to their GRAVE.

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Effy

Nov 17, 2013 11:48am

i hope pak gets white-washed, so that the selectors can pick up a team with out an discrimination. Players like Sharjeel Khan, Hammad Azam, Harris Sohail, Raza HAsan and M. Talha will be selected when they become 40 years old. Pakistan Selectors have a habit of picking players old e.g. Misbah, Ajmal and Irfan.

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Masous

Nov 17, 2013 02:48pm

Saved from further embarrassment foreseeable of the SA tour.

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Khurram Shams

Nov 17, 2013 03:29pm

Where is Younus khan who is performing well in domestic

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Amal

Nov 17, 2013 06:32pm

This is the problem with all pakistani fans. Keep complaining !! Pls look at the records of all the old horses in the pakistani team. Mishbah is the top pakistani batsman in ODI and ranked No. 9. Hafeez is No. 1 ODI all rounder and No.2 Twenty20 all rounder. Afridi is No.7 ODI all rounder and No. 5 Twenty20 all rounder. These so called old horses are the ones who are really giving some semblance of international quality to the Pakistani team. Where are the so called youngsters ? where is their performance ? stop complaining and support your heroes like India supportd Sachin and its other cricketing heroes.

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Nov 17, 2013 08:59pm

Dear Chairman PCB, for God sake arrange some U23 and A-team tours to SA, AUS and England.

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syed wasim haider

Nov 17, 2013 10:13pm

Pakistan's present team can beat any good team if the opponent will play below their average performance. The other reasons are politics going on after Mohsen's departure and out of form aged players. PCB Chairman is still optimistic and telling the fans everything will be OK after few matches. Selectors are not sincere, Manager has shown that he cannot give any strategy or game plan. Just disgusting for the fans. Players and officials will get their salaries as usual.

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Kamran

Nov 17, 2013 10:31pm

is there any point following this useless team

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Satyendra

Nov 18, 2013 01:07am

What about Dale Styen when he mocked Hafeez. He was let go Scott free!!! Why wasn't he fined?

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optimist

Nov 18, 2013 02:18am

@Guest63: I thing the selectors had no other option but to send the same team with a few changes, there was not enough time for a training camp, slection committee to meet etc. The cricket lovers around the country should raise their voise agianst the un-called for inteference of a court judge who is making the life of the office bearers unbearable. Najam Sthi should be given time till the end of the t-20 WC in March, to smooth out the problems facing the cricket in general.

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Anila

Nov 18, 2013 07:32pm

After reading all the posters in this section and hearing common man and the ex players on TV channels, it is very obvious that whole the nation wanted to change all the failed player with some new players like Fawad Alam, Haris Sohail and Sami Aslam. But the selection committee and PCB chairman are not at all ready to listen. Firstly, they don't give enough chances to talented youngesters and secondly, if they at last do, then it's some one who hasn't earned a chance through domestic showing who gets such a long run of failures. Look at Umar Amins first class and A-list averages and compare them with Fawad Alam or Haris Sohail and you will know the reason of failures and extent of corruption. They are so stuborn that they are not even ready to play Hafeez at 6 or 7.

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Ammar

Nov 18, 2013 08:26pm

PCB does not get it or there is something bigger going on that we don't know :) Asad Shafiq the poor kid could not do anything recently - he is going to get mauled by South African pace attack in South Africa !!! --- he lacks serious confidence and it shows. What are selectors doing?? Same goes for our T20 captain and few others. This will be yet another debacle

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ONLYPUNJABISINTHETEAM

Nov 19, 2013 11:14am

I guess Hafeez,Razzak,Shoaib Malik,Umer Amin,Afridi,Akmal,Sohail Tanvir must have scored Centuries in every Match in Dubai,is that why they are all BACK?

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