Pakistan is facing a tough situation just before their second ODI against New Zealand. They’ve announced that opener Usman Khan will not play due to a hamstring injury. He picked up this injury while fielding during the first match of the series at McLean Park in Napier last Saturday. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) confirmed on their website that Usman has been ruled out for the crucial game that will take place on April 2 at Seddon Park in Hamilton.
The scan showed he has a low-grade tear, which means he won’t be able to take part in this match. Usman had just made his ODI debut in the first game and actually did pretty well; he scored 39 runs off just 33 balls, hitting four fours and two sixes. It’s unclear if he’ll be fit in time for the third ODI that follows.
Now, with Usman out, Pakistan might be looking at Imam-ul-Haq to step in as an opener. He’s the obvious choice, but there’s also the option of moving Babar Azam up to the top of the order again. Besides those two, they have other players available who could fit into the lineup. Khushdil Shah is one who can come in and bat down the order, and Sufiyan Muqeem has some bowling skills to offer as well.
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As for the rest of the squad, it includes familiar names like Babar Azam (who’s also the captain), Mohammad Rizwan as the wicketkeeper, along with Abdullah Shafique, Salman Agha, Tayyab Tahir, Faheem Ashraf, Irfan Khan, Abrar Ahmed, Naseem Shah, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Akif Javed, Mohammad Ali, and Haris Rauf. It’s going to be interesting to see how the team adjustments will play out for this important match against New Zealand.
