Daily Times

KARACHI: Pakistan opener Imam-ul-Haq will not be a part of the playing XI for the third Test against England which is scheduled to start tomorrow (December 17) in Karachi at the National Stadium. The player has been ruled out of the third and final Test due to a hamstring injury. During the third day of the second Test against the Englishmen in Multan, Imam was taken to a hospital for a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan after he “felt unease in his right hamstring”. In the absence of Imam, wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan opened the second innings for Pakistan alongside Abdullah Shafique. The opener, however, was back on the ground after returning from the hospital. Naseem Shah ruled out

Meanwhile, Pakistan’s pacer Naseem Shah was also ruled out from the third and final Test, the cricket board (PCB) announced Tuesday. In a statement, the board said that a niggle in the bowling shoulder has ruled out Shah from the side – who are already missing pacers Haris Rauf and Shaheen Shah Afridi. The PCB said the fast bowler will travel to Lahore where he will undergo further assessments at the National High-Performance Centre before beginning rehabilitation. “The team management has not requested his replacement at this stage,” the board noted. Shaheen, Rauf not part of series

Shaheen – Pakistan’s main wicket-taker in all three formats – was left out of the series following a knee injury sustained during the T20 World Cup final in Australia earlier this month. The pacer also had his appendix removed earlier this month due to which the 22-year-old was advised to stay out of the field. Meanwhile, Rauf was ruled out of the rest of the Test series against England with a thigh injury. The 29-year-old stepped on the ball while fielding on the first day. Scans and a subsequent assessment concluded Rauf needs time off for rehabilitation.