Abdullah Fazal Ruled Out of West Indies and England Test Series

Pakistan have suffered a major setback ahead of their upcoming Test series against the West Indies and England, with young opener Abdullah Fazal ruled out of both tours due to a back injury.

In a statement, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) confirmed that the 23-year-old sustained the injury during a training session on Thursday at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Trinidad, the venue for the first Test against the West Indies. However, the board has yet to announce a replacement for Fazal.

Since making his Test debut against Bangladesh in May, Fazal has established himself as one of Pakistan’s brightest batting prospects. He was Pakistan’s highest run-scorer in his debut Test, scoring half-centuries in both innings.

Earlier this week, Fazal also impressed in the tour match against the West Indies Select XI, remaining unbeaten in both innings with scores of 50 and 48, making him a near-certain starter for the opening Test.

His absence could pave the way for middle-order batter Awais Zafar to make his Test debut. Zafar had already been added to the squad as a replacement for Saud Shakeel, who was unavailable due to fitness concerns. Meanwhile, Imam-ul-Haq, who missed Pakistan’s most recent Test against Bangladesh, is expected to return to the side as an opener.

The PCB added that MRI scans and a clinical assessment confirmed Fazal will require a period of rehabilitation before returning to competitive cricket.