File photo of Mohammad Rizwan.
Big relief for Pakistan, opener Mohammad Rizwan and middle-order batsman Shoaib Malik The medical team on Thursday declared him fit to take part in the men’s T20 World Cup semi-final match against Australia.
Both Rizwan and Malik were suffering from mild flu and fever and had been away from training on the eve of the game. However, he has tested negative for Covid-19 twice in three days.
Both the Pakistan batsmen woke up on Wednesday morning with what a team official described as “mild flu and low fever”, and were advised to stay back at the hotel and remain under observation, reports Aspencricinfo. The rest of the team members and support staff attended their training session at the ICC Academy Complex.
There was no Covid-19 scare in the team at any point of time and it is understood that the team management expected Rizwan and Malik to be available for the game. Despite this, the medical professionals traveling with the team continued to assess them at regular intervals on Wednesday and Thursday.
Both Rizwan and Malik have been a vital part of Pakistan’s batting unit in the tournament so far. Rizwan, a particularly aggressive opener, has been in form in his life and has scored 214 runs in five matches in the ongoing World Cup.
Malik, on the other hand, has shown his class at different stages during this tournament and has scored significant runs in the middle order. He scored 50 runs in just 18 balls against Scotland, which is the joint fastest in this World Cup. KL Rahul,
NS Babar AzmiThe led Pakistan, who are the only unbeaten one in the current tournament, have fielded the same playing XI in all their matches so far. Rizwan and Malik are now available for selection, they can do well in the knockout match as well.
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