Shadab ruled out of England series due to viral infection

E-Paper | June 13, 2026

Wrist spinner Shadab Khan has been ruled out of the series against England after blood tests revealed that he is suffering from a viral infection.

The series against England, comprising a T20I and five ODIs, will be played from May 5-19. Details about Shadab’s replacement will be announced in due course, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said on Sunday.

The PCB said that Shabad has been advised a month of treatment and rest. The body plans to set up appointments with specialists in England to help Shadab recover fully before the World Cup opener.

Chief Selector Inzamamul Haq expressed hope that Shadab would be ready for a comeback before the tournament.

The World Cup 2019 will begin on May 30, and Pakistan's first match will be against the West Indies on May 31 at Trent Bridge.

The selectors have already included Mohammad Amir and Asif Ali as additional players to the 15-man World Cup squad. Changes can be made to the squad until May 23.

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J.D

Apr 21, 2019 02:04pm

Very unfortunate,,,hope he recovers at the earliest.... I pray for his speedy recovery,,,

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J.D

Apr 21, 2019 02:07pm

Very unfortunate,,,bad news of the day.... Hope he recovers at the earliest,,, My prayers for shadab for the speedy recovery...

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Irfan

Apr 21, 2019 02:16pm

Can we get some more details about the virus or it is some hidden plans

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Mohd azeez

Apr 21, 2019 02:25pm

There goes the world cup

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Guzni

Apr 21, 2019 02:35pm

Too early exit. Did not the selector ask for such medical test prior to announcement of the team? Looks Odd.

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Nasir

Apr 21, 2019 02:41pm

Shame , he was an excellent choice in the squad

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JackJones

Apr 21, 2019 02:49pm

Wish shadab a speedy recovery. My question to Chief selector, where is your backup spinner? You should select Umar Khan immediately and maybe another specialist spinner. Do not make the mistake of not having an actual spinner. Emad Wasim is NOT a spinner and an ODI player. Please DO NOT select Yasir Shah, he is ideal for Test matches and NOT ODI.

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Sana

Apr 21, 2019 03:52pm

If yasir Shah is selected, this will be a totally perchee selection as he is not fit for shorter versions and their are many good spinners around.

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Jehengir khan

Apr 21, 2019 04:11pm

Another white wash unless batsmen get decent score.....

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haled sefula

Apr 21, 2019 04:22pm

Sounds Fishy! I think he may have tested for banned substances. That's what they test for not viruses.

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team

Apr 21, 2019 04:22pm

Which virus

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Kashmiri

Apr 21, 2019 04:25pm

Bad luck

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Desi

Apr 21, 2019 04:27pm

Does the virus have a name? What is his sickness?

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FAZ

Apr 21, 2019 04:53pm

We have lost another "batsmen" in the squad!

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Dr. Salaria, Aamir Ahmad

Apr 21, 2019 04:58pm

Bad luck. Let's pray for his early and full recovery.

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TOMATO

Apr 21, 2019 05:53pm

Doesn't really matter if he's in or out of the team.... fluke wins do not happen all the time.

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Syed Masood

Apr 21, 2019 05:55pm

One and only but lonely spinner of Pakistan fell ill but still World Cup is ours

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babajee

Apr 21, 2019 06:21pm

@TOMATO, Yes fluke wins on certain days but not always. Only quality and capability run longer

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TOMATO

Apr 21, 2019 07:40pm

@babajee, Of the five ODI meets between India and Pakistan since (and including) the Adelaide encounter in the last World Cup, India has won 4 and Pakistan only one. Records don't lie, do they?

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Jawad Zafar

Apr 21, 2019 08:05pm

I suggest, media to refrain from disclosing the virus details and if so then it should be after taking prior permission from Shadab. He is very young with lot of potential to have an excellent cricket career and all the best wishes to him. Get well soon kid, we need you.

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Asfand Iqbal

Apr 21, 2019 08:12pm

I thought virus is not detected in blood tests

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Arqam

Apr 21, 2019 09:01pm

Umer Khan should be the backup opyion, not Yasir please. And we need a specialist spinner no part-timers so do not consider overs from Imad and Hafeez. Umer Khan has shown sparks and deserves a chance.

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Foreign Observer

Apr 21, 2019 10:12pm

He and Hassan Ali are highly over rated for no reasons whatsoever.

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Yousuf47 London

Apr 21, 2019 10:26pm

Hope he recovers soon- the only possible replacement is the young Umar Khan - the magician and the exposure at international level will do him good till Shadab is able to rejoin the Pakistan team.

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Apr 21, 2019 10:50pm

So many conspiracy theories here...plus it's the person's right to keep medical information private.

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Abbas shah

Apr 21, 2019 11:47pm

Suffering from HT so Ap channel said,he should have taken complete rest instead of travelling to London.There exist Excellent treatment for jaundice in Pakistan too.

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JackJones

Apr 22, 2019 01:00am

@TOMATO, Are you referring to the One Sided game where Pakistan beat India by by 180 runs? Facts do not change maybe it is time to move on and focus on the World Cup.

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JustSaying

Apr 22, 2019 04:03am

Very strange. People recover from viruses within a week’s time. He being a sports person should recover even earlier. Something is fishy here.

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Sabir, Punjab Pakistan

Apr 22, 2019 06:28am

Inzamam only cares for his nephew’s spot in team rest he doesn’t care. Inzamam is a greedy fella he shouldn’t be a selectior

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blunt

Apr 22, 2019 10:08am

Unfortunate for the team in general and Shadab in particular. However, the real question is: Where does the fitness test stand?

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ExMohajirUK

Apr 22, 2019 08:04pm

Get well soon young man, your country needs your service.

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Veer Singh

Apr 22, 2019 08:27pm

I'm only interested to know. what kind of virus is this that can't be cured in 6 weeks?

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Apr 22, 2019 09:16pm

Don't we have a history of faking/cheating in the past to save ourselves from the obvious. It is to secure our long term future since PM already show some faith in this guy and he knows better as he is way over-rated and not a real talent. Sorry for Pakistan we fell too low on all levels.

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