Rahat out as Pakistan's 'injured' list swells

E-Paper | April 29, 2026

Pakistan's left-arm seamer Rahat Ali has been ruled out of the Bangladesh Test series after suffering a hamstring injury, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced on Saturday.

The 26-year-old Rahat, who was a vital member of Pakistan's pace attack at the World Cup, joins Mohammad Irfan, Sohail Khan, Ehsan Adil, Yasir Shah and Sohaib Maqsood on the sidelines with the 'injured list' almost becoming an embarrassment now and highlighting the shoddy role the support staff has been playing in keeping the players fit.

“A replacement, if any, will be announced in due course,” the PCB announced.

The national team is currently facing a 'fitness crisis' of sorts which has meant Pakistan has not been able to pick their best side.

Head coach Waqar Younis said on Monday that he was deeply worried about the situation.

“Our team’s biggest problem is fitness and we will not compromise in ensuring that each and every player is match fit,” Waqar said.

Pakistan were beaten 3-0 in the three-game ODI series and also lost the only Twenty20 of their tour to Bangladesh.

The two teams will now face off in the Test series, the first of which begins on April 28.

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Sab Se Pehle Pakistan

Apr 25, 2015 05:05pm

What is going on? Who is our trainer? Are we doing right exercises? There has to be something that our yongsters are doing wrong. For God sake PCB do something. Find out the reason. Bring back Misbah and Afridi from retirement both are super fit and performing. Age doesn't matter. It is Pakistan that matters

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Babay

Apr 25, 2015 05:05pm

Give them complete rest and postponed the event till their complete recovery. Do not waist national wealth for nothing.

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Calcutta Man

Apr 25, 2015 05:06pm

This is now moving into the realm of the ludicrous....

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A shah

Apr 25, 2015 05:13pm

Nobody wants to be with Pakistan. Even the Pakistanis don't want to be Pakistani lol

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Shahid

Apr 25, 2015 05:40pm

Junaid, Wahab and Mir Hamza should play the tests aided by Zulfiqar Baber.

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liaqat

Apr 25, 2015 05:45pm

i think nobody performing his duty honestly especially coaches and fitness trainers hired specifically for the players, such ambiguous multiple problems of fitness has every been witnessed to the other teams. Major overhauling is required in each segment of governing and administrative units of PCB and the selection of team players to deter any humiliating defeat in coming series.

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maqsoodbaloch

Apr 25, 2015 05:48pm

If we have Najam Sethi and Hussain Haqqani in our ranks then we don't need enemies, Waqar should quit but he wont as he wont be able to get even a job of school team coach hereafter

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Kaji Shahadat,Bangladesh.

Apr 25, 2015 06:04pm

Pakistan will be loss again by Tigers. Who come, who go we don't attention it.

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M.Saeed

Apr 25, 2015 06:11pm

Why so fragile players are selected who cannot last even a few matches ?

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shak

Apr 25, 2015 06:12pm

Going at this rate, soon when we will have Misbah playing alone .. batting, bowling and fielding.. We wont fare any worse than now anyways...

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M.M.Sherazi

Apr 25, 2015 06:15pm

Pakistan has not produced match-winning bowler after Wasim and Waqar, we had some glimpse of hope in Junaid Khan and Irfan, but both have disappointed big time, first through poor performance and former through fitness issues. Sports in Pakistan are hitting to the lowest point, the solution can emerge through reciprocating some unneeded top officials.

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Don

Apr 25, 2015 06:15pm

Why they are getting injured without playing ?? This is actually getting very funny..Indian and Australian keep playing without any injury...

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rathorew

Apr 25, 2015 06:32pm

I was told that the players do not follow the coaches' instructions, and the PCB does not discipline the players. That was the problem recently with Shehzad, Umar Akmal, and Afridi.

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Yasir

Apr 25, 2015 06:37pm

This is humiliating....

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Canada

Apr 25, 2015 06:40pm

Notice how all the aforementioned players never get injured during a game which is 10x more intense but rather get injured by sitting around or training. I think soon the physio and trainer will get injured too.

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M. Emad

Apr 25, 2015 06:53pm

Seems, all the Pakistani cricket team members are 'injured'.

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Ash

Apr 25, 2015 06:58pm

1952-2015..... Rest in Peace Pakistan Cricket!!

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Hatim

Apr 25, 2015 07:27pm

I love the quotation marks 'injured'

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Ammar

Apr 25, 2015 07:36pm

Bring back Misbah, please

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qamaruddin

Apr 25, 2015 07:55pm

Cant recall so many players gets injured one series for any team. Rahat Ali wont make a difference as he was taken to the cleaners by Tamim and Mushi. Wahab Riaz and Ajmal has the key to PAK success in test series. I am anticipating dead pitches in Khulna at least.

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Azi

Apr 25, 2015 08:10pm

Define injury : A phenomenon occurring in Pakistan cricket players only giving them a good excuse for poor performance.

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Dr. I. R. Zubair (Phd.)

Apr 25, 2015 08:14pm

stop blaming "injury and fitness" as excuse. What is the "root cause" of lack of fitness any one mention that? perhaps useless management and managing and PCB inefficient?

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maqsoodbaloch

Apr 25, 2015 08:23pm

@Kaji Shahadat,Bangladesh. Tigers were wet cats during their encounter with Pakistan in Newzealand, come bouncy tracks with neutral grounds/umpires and we will decide who real tigers are

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jawaidkhan534@hotmail.com

Apr 25, 2015 08:51pm

They should forget this charade and return home; the result was laready decided prior to commencement of this series - Pakistan to lose all events; nearly there!

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Calcutta Man

Apr 25, 2015 09:19pm

@Hatim Like you, even I was intrigued by the quote sign; does Dawn not believe he's injured? Is there a doubt over the player's claim? If that's indeed the case, this is very very interesting...

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sajid

Apr 25, 2015 09:20pm

Seen this many times, even with our greats, when the going gets tough, take to the bench, easy way out.

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GREEN JAGUAR

Apr 25, 2015 09:34pm

@ Sports Desk - please do us Pakistan cricket fans a big favor: kindly interview the training coaches, show us the equipment used for our cricketers, and take us on a first-hand tour of the facilities used for our cricketers to give us a more accurate picture of what's actually involved in the training program for our players. Some dawn.com readers are sports training and fitness experts who can offer their input. I personally know sports physicians who can chime in as well, so please send a reporter over to the PCB training centers and post detailed videos of our cricketers training program so we can help our players in preventing so many injuries.

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Khalid

Apr 25, 2015 09:50pm

Agreed: What use are these foreign trainers, fielding and batting coaches. PCB with self esteem issues. Bringing back Misbah and Afridi is not the solution. We need to face up to this issue: The country that always produces talent cannot exploit it to it's benefit. We keep blaming the cricketers; fix the system.

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Aqil Siddiqi

Apr 25, 2015 09:53pm

When u eat murgh O mussalam khana and just watch Indian Movies and shows, what do you expect from these babies. .pethetic.

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Aqil Siddiqi

Apr 25, 2015 09:54pm

@shak Lollllllll just like our nation right now...totally unfit.

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Haider Rehman

Apr 25, 2015 10:44pm

I would like to hear from Misbah's critics now.

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Haider Rehman

Apr 25, 2015 10:45pm

@Sab Se Pehle Pakistan No. New players arent being given proper environment. Lookat T20 match, Rizwan was not allowed to perform.

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SJ Performance

Apr 25, 2015 11:02pm

come on people Mitchell Johnson and Michael Clarke were both injured in UAE, it happens.

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Kiwi

Apr 25, 2015 11:56pm

Call the team back. No point in gathering more humiliation.

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JAHIRUL ISLAM (Bangladesh)

Apr 25, 2015 11:57pm

@Maqsud and PCB. So,Where do yo want to play? At Sarjah, Dubai, Abu dhabi or any where else?How about 5 test, 5 odi, 3 t20?

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JAHIRUL ISLAM (Bangladesh)

Apr 25, 2015 11:58pm

@Maqsud and PCB. So,Where do yo want to play? At Sarjah, Dubai, Abu dhabi or any where else?How about 5 test, 5 odi, 3 t20?

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Zoab Khan

Apr 26, 2015 12:24am

time to train is in the offseason not when 1week before you are schedule to get whooped by minnows. Waqar Younis has to get fired. 6 straight series he has lost now?

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Farid Ahmed

Apr 26, 2015 03:47am

You will get more player injured now without playing. Terrible fear of playing against this fiery Bangladesh is making them injured. Nothing else.

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Ammar

Apr 26, 2015 05:21am

Pakistan team is probably the most unfit team in the cricket world

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Apr 26, 2015 06:46am

@Aqil Siddiqi why do you have to bring India for all causes of your failure.It is a game only nothing to cry about.I think Pakistani cricket will come back very strong in the near future.

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CYRUS

Apr 26, 2015 07:31am

The harder they train the fewer injuries they will have. It is too easy to break training. Players make so much money now in salaries and endorsements they don't need to listen to coaches. They make the same money sitting on the bench.

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CYRUS

Apr 26, 2015 07:41am

@Sab Se Pehle Pakistan Something the youngsters are doing wrong, like drugs? Players would not to let any such information get out. The Pakistan Cricket Board would want that information leaked even less. There are drug tests. Young sports idols always like to party with young attractive women. It is a question of maturity. Pakistan matters to them, but patriotism in present day Pakistan is old school.

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CYRUS

Apr 26, 2015 07:46am

@liaqat Where is Pakistan's new talent pool, where can they train, and how many years before they mature into professionals?

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CYRUS

Apr 26, 2015 07:47am

@M.Saeed There is no quick fix.

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someone

Apr 26, 2015 08:28am

@Aqil Siddiqi Well whatever you are eating and watching, certainly did not help you much educationally. By the way, why don't you write to PCB to make "Gujjar" and "Gandasa" movies or may be romantic Pakistani TV shows mandatory for Pakistani players so that they remain fit on the ground.

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Kabbadi Kabbadi Kabaddi

Apr 26, 2015 10:01am

Great, at least another excuse incase Pak loses Tests too

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Kazi Tanvir

Apr 26, 2015 10:19am

@maqsoodbaloch Shame on you!!! As a Sub-Continent team, Pak should play well in Bangladsehi condition. If New Zealand team raise this question it may be justified. I think instead of criticizing Bangladesh, you should admit the fact and start doing positive things to regain the strength of Pakistan.

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Gp65

Apr 26, 2015 10:29am

@Sab Se Pehle Pakistan Misbah has not retired from test and will be captaining the test side

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Gp65

Apr 26, 2015 10:32am

@Ammar Misbah has not retired from tests

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tariq

Apr 26, 2015 01:36pm

Well another one bites the dust.....whose next

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Akhtar Hassan

Apr 26, 2015 02:12pm

Let us see whose parchi is more powerful now for the replacement.

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Akhtar Hassan

Apr 26, 2015 02:19pm

@JAHIRUL ISLAM (Bangladesh) Strange to see these comments from somebody whose team has won just 7 tests out of 70 in its history of 15 years of test cricket. 5 of those tests were won against Zimbabwe and 2 against a depleted West Indian team. Bangladesh's 30 years ODI history is as dismal. Pakistan made a great mistake by helping them get test status.

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Ismail

Apr 27, 2015 09:44am

@rathorew , is it the problem of the arena of cricket or sports only? isn't it a problem of Pakistan itself. Just tell me a single sector where there is accountability. Nobody listens to others, even the peoples mindset is molded in such way. Through social media we came to know that the players do not follow coach or training staff, as they were picked not by merit but by...

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