Pakistan pacer Hasan Ali has been ruled out of the must-win World Cup 2023 group match against South Africa due to fever.
Hasan Ali ruled out of Pakistan's must-win group match against South Africa (AP)
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) made an official announcement on Thursday, confirming that fast bowler Hasan Ali will miss Pakistan's must-win group-stage match against South Africa, scheduled on October 27 in Chennai.
The team management has informed that Hasan has been dealing with a fever since last night, but he is on the path to recovery. He will be given the necessary rest to ensure a full recovery before the team's remaining games in the tournament.
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"Fast bowler Hasan Ali is unavailable for Pakistan's match against South Africa as he is unwell," the board said in a brief statement.
It's worth noting that Hasan Ali was called back into the squad after Naseem Shah suffered a shoulder injury. In his five World Cup appearances, Hasan Ali has managed to secure eight wickets.
Pakistan, the 1992 World Cup champions, started the tournament impressively with victories over the Netherlands and Sri Lanka. However, they suffered heavy losses to hosts India and Australia, followed by a shocking defeat against Afghanistan in their last outing. Their next challenge comes on Friday, as they face high-scoring South Africa, a team that has secured four wins in five matches, recovering well from an unexpected loss to the Netherlands.
With four group games remaining, Pakistan still has a chance to make it to the semi-finals, but their margin for error is minimal. All-rounder Shadab Khan expressed today that despite their underperformance, the Pakistani team believes in the possibility of "miracles" and sees the upcoming matches as "do-or-die" battles to revive their World Cup campaign.
"It depends on individual and team. I think that reduces the pressure because you have no option, nothing to lose. If you lose, you're obviously out of tournament. So, the more positive things you bring to the match, the more you benefit," Shadab said at the pre-match press conference.
"I think our team has come out of such situations and also performed well in such situations, and hopefully, from tomorrow, our winning streak will start." Expectations from Pakistan have always been high, while situations like these are bound to create pressure on the side. They have been found wanting in all the departments of the game, leading to criticisms from many quarters.
Published By:
Saurabh Kumar
Published On:
Oct 27, 2023
