The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced on Friday that left-handed batter Fakhar Zaman is included in Pakistan’s squad for the Men’s T20 World Cup, replacing leg-spinner Usman Qadir, who has been moved to the traveling reserves.The change, as PCB said in an official statement, was necessary as Qadir is yet to recover from a hairline fracture on his right thumb that he suffered during the September 25 T20I against England in Karachi. The leg-spinner will not be available for selection before October 22.Fakhar, earlier enlisted as a reserve player, will arrive in Brisbane from London on Saturday along with left-arm pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi, who had been undergoing rehabilitation for a right-knee injury.
The duo will be available for selection in Pakistan’s warm-up matches against England (October 17) and Afghanistan (October 19), during which the team management will assess the left-handed batter Zaman’s fitness after recovering from a knee injury.Pakistan, the 2009 edition champions, will kick-start their Men’s T20 World Cup campaign in a Super12 clash against arch-rivals India on October 23 at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).