Babar Azam ruled out of the three T20Is against New Zealand due to fractured thumb

Babar Azam ruled out: Pakistan?s skipper Babar Azam suffered a thumb fracture during the practice session before the start of the tour. He is now ruled out of the whole T20I series against New Zealand.

Azam injured his right thumb while practicing in the nets on Sunday creating a hole in the lineup. The batting powerhouse would be out of the game for at least 12 days.

The Pakistan Cricket Board on Sunday said, Babar Azam now faces the race with the time to get fit for the upcoming test event against New Zealand. We hope he recovers in time for the first test game.

?I have got in touch with Babar Azam and he is sad to miss out from the T20I series against New Zealand. He was fully focused and keen on playing the games,? Misbah-ul-Haq said about Azam.

?We have a very long cricketing season forward and we now hope that Azam gets his fitness as early as possible so that he can return to the competitive cricket,? Misbah-ul-Haq in a statement.

Imam-ul-Haq and Shadab Khan also Ruled Out

Babar?s injury becomes more important as batsman Imam-ul-Haq has been ruled out a day before after he fractured his left thumb while practicing. Pakistan?s T20I Vice-Captain, Shadab Khan is also complaining of Groin niggle.

Pakistan and New Zealand are scheduled to play three-game T20I series and two Test games to end the tour. The tour will begin with T20Is on December 18, Friday.

Pakistan Squad for the tour of New Zealand 2020-21:

Babar Azam (captain), Shadab Khan (vice-captain), Faheem Ashraf, Haider Ali, Abdullah Shafique, Haris Rauf, Hussain Talat, Iftikhar Ahmed, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Hafeez, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Musa Khan, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Rizwan, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usman Qadir, and Wahab Riaz.

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