Pakistan confirm playing XI ahead of the tie against South Africa

The Pakistan team was not only handed a daunting defeat by the Indian team but their bowling attack was also crippled by injuries. Two of their three pacers Wahab Riaz and Mohammad Amir had to walk off the field towards the end of the innings without completing their quota of overs.

While Amir has recovered and has been deemed fit for this game but Wahab who injured his ankle suffered a “deltoid ligament complex” which will take at least 2 whole weeks of rest before the fast bowler can think of making a comeback on the field. He has thus been ruled out of the rest of the Champions Trophy.

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has already requested the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) Technical Committee to allow them to add a replacement for Wahab in the squad. The technical committee is yet to grant them the permission while it is believed that left-arm fast medium bowler Rumman Raees will replace him in the squad of 15.

Though they lost the first game to India by a huge 124-run margin not all is lost for the Pakistani team, they still are pretty much in the race to make it to the quarter-finals all they need to do hereon is win all their matches. Next up they will take on Sri Lanka at Birmingham in an evening game.

Ahead of the match Pakistan skipper, Sarfraz Ahmed has announced the two changes they will make to the playing XI against Sri Lanka. For the forced change left-arm pacer Junaid Khan will walk into the team for Wahab.

Ahmed Shehzad who was making a comeback in the team hasn’t managed to earn enough faith from the team management to back him beyond the opening game of the Champions Trophy. He will make way for Fakhar Zaman in the squad for the approaching challenge.

Pakistan XI for the Sri Lanka encounter

Sarfraz Ahmed (c/wk), Azhar Ali, Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Hasan Ali, Imad Wasim, Junaid Khan, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Hafeez, Shadab Khan, Shoaib Malik