Lauderhill (USA), Aug 4 (IANS) Pakistan’s top-order batter Fakhar Zaman, who was sidelined for the third T20I against the West Indies after picking up a left hamstring strain during the second T20I in Lauderhill, has been ruled out of the forthcoming three-match ODI series against the Caribbean side.

Khushdil Shah stepped in to replace Zaman in the playing XI for the third T20I on Monday (IST). The injury occurred in the 19th over of West Indies’ innings as Zaman chased a ball in the outfield. A medical evaluation by the team’s support staff later confirmed a mild strain in his left hamstring.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has confirmed that Fakhar received immediate treatment and initial care following his injury. He is set to return to Pakistan on August 4, a day after the final and deciding T20I. His rehabilitation will be overseen by the PCB medical team at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Lahore. The PCB has not yet announced whether a replacement will be named for the ODI squad.

Fakhar managed promising starts in the first two T20Is, scoring 28 and 20, but was unable to convert either into a substantial innings.

The 35-year-old’s current injury is strikingly similar to the one he sustained at the start of the Champions Trophy earlier this year. In that incident, Fakhar pulled up in pain after sprinting after a cover drive on just the second ball of the opening match. He was ruled out of the tournament the very next day.

Ironically, Fakhar had been brought into that squad as a replacement for Saim Ayub, who had suffered a nearly identical injury six weeks earlier in South Africa while chasing a ball to the boundary. Saim ended up spending three months on the sidelines.

Following the drama of the second match, the third T20I echoed the tone of the opener as Pakistan edged out the West Indies by 13 runs to claim a 2-1 series victory – their seventh consecutive T20I series win over the Caribbean side in bilateral contests.

Pakistan delivered a well-rounded performance with both bat and ball, led by a commanding 138-run opening stand between Saim Ayub and Sahibzada Farhan, followed by a late-innings surge. Defending a target of 190, Pakistan kept their composure in the final overs, delivering a series of tight spells that ultimately denied West Indies once again, leaving them just short in their chase.

–IANS

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