Pakistan opener Fakhar Zaman was on Thursday ruled unavailable for World Cup selection until next week due to a knee injury, team management said.

The 34-year-old left-hander was dropped from the starting line-up after scoring just 12 in the opening win against the Netherlands and replaced by Abdullah Shafique.

“Zaman is being treated for a knee injury, he is expected to be available for selection next week,” said the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).

Zaman is the only Pakistan batsman to have scored a one-day international double hundred.

Meanwhile, middle-order batsman Agha Salman became the latest Pakistan player to be struck down with fever ahead of the game against Australia in Bengaluru on Friday.

Salman had yet to play in the World Cup.

Six players missed training on Tuesday, suffering from fever and flu after the team reached Bengaluru.

Pakistan beat the Netherlands and Sri Lanka in their first two games at the World Cup but were defeated by arch-rivals India in Ahmedabad on Saturday.

Opinion

Editorial

Kashmir unresolved
Updated 30 Sep, 2026

Kashmir unresolved

The just solution lies in India addressing the issue through a trilateral dialogue involving the legitimate representatives of the Kashmiri people and Pakistan.
Water shortage
30 Sep, 2026

Water shortage

THAT the country is entering the Rabi season with an anticipated water shortage of nearly 25pc, the lowest carryover...
Young hearts
30 Sep, 2026

Young hearts

THE observance may have passed, but the message of World Heart Day should not fade with it. The occasion is a useful...
Terror and politics
Updated 29 Sep, 2026

Terror and politics

There is an urgent need to tone down the rhetoric and tackle terrorism as a collective challenge for both the affected provinces and the federation.
Watching the glaciers
29 Sep, 2026

Watching the glaciers

THE latest signs from Pakistan’s mountains are worrying. Suparco says the number of unfrozen glacial lakes it...
Dangerous agenda
29 Sep, 2026

Dangerous agenda

AS the world remains fixated on the US-Iran conflict, elsewhere in the Middle East, Israel is consolidating its grip...