RAWALPINDI: The national selection committee has announced wicket-keeper/batter Haseebullah as the replacement player for Azam Khan, who was sidelined from the Twenty20 International series against New Zealand due to a tear in his right calf muscle, the Pakistan Cricket Board said on Sunday.

Haseebullah will join the Pakistan side after ahead of the fourth T20I, which is set to be held in Lahore on Thursday. The 21-year-old played his maiden, and only match for the national side during the T20 tour to New Zealand earlier this year.

Azam, meanwhile, was advised to undergo a 10-day rest following radiology reports confirming a Grade One tear of his right calf muscle, said the PCB on Saturday.

“Azam will now depart from the Pakistan men’s cricket team and report to the National Cricket Academy, where he will commence his rehabilitation process under the supervision of the PCB medical panel,” read the board’s statement.

“The discomfort in Azam’s right calf was first noticed during batting practice in the pre-first T20I training session at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.”

Published in Dawn, April 22nd, 2024