LAHORE: In-form all-rounder Iftikhar Ahmed replaced injured Haris Sohail in Pakistan’s ODI squad for the last three PAK vs NZ ODI matches in Karachi, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced on Saturday.
According to the details, left-arm middle-order batter Haris Sohail, who succumbed to an injury amid the team’s scheduled practice session ahead of the five-match ODI series against New Zealand, has been replaced by in-form all-rounder Iftikhar Ahmed.
Notably, Haris suffered a nasty collision with his teammate Shadab Khan in the training session and landed awkwardly on his left shoulder.
The batter was then taken to a local hospital in Rawalpindi and underwent scans.
“Pakistan batter Haris Sohail landed awkwardly on his left shoulder during a fielding drill today,” stated PCB in a statement.
“His initial scans at a local hospital were satisfactory. The medical team will assess him before the first One-Day International tomorrow to determine his participation in the match,” the statement added.
Following his inclusion in the ODI squad, Iftikhar will join the national contingent in Karachi, where the last three fixtures of the PAK vs NZ ODI series will be played on May 3, 5 and 7.
A sensational bowling performance by young pacer Naseem Shah and a magnificent century in the run chase by Fakhar Zaman propelled the home side to a resounding five-wicket victory over New Zealand in the first ODI to script a winning start to the series.
With the ICC ODI World Cup scheduled this year in India, the series provide a launching pad for the two teams to begin their preparations for the megaevent.
Pakistan ODI Squad: Babar Azam (captain), Shadab Khan (vice-captain), Ihsanullah, Imam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Haris, Abdullah Shafique, Fakhar Zaman, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf, Iftikhar Ahmed, Usama Mir, Mohammad Nawaz, Naseem Shah, Salman Ali Agha, Shan Masood and Mohammad Wasim Jnr.