Mohammad Abbas is expected to replace injured Haris Rauf in Pakistan’s Test squad, according to sources.

Mohammad Abbas, a fast bowler, is expected to replace pacer Haris Rauf in the Test series against England after he was ruled out for the remainder of the matches due to a grade-II strain in the right quad.

On the first day of the match on Thursday, the right-arm pacer was injured after rolling over the ball while fielding. On Friday, he underwent Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) at the hospital.

“The scans and subsequent assessment by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) medical staff concluded that the fast bowler sustained a grade-II strain,” the cricket board said today in a statement.

“Haris will travel to Lahore to begin his rehabilitation at the National High-Performance Centre,” the statement continued.

The pacer’s absence will exacerbate Pakistan’s woes in the remaining two matches, as star bowler Shahid Afridi has already been ruled out due to fitness issues, leaving the bowling attack vulnerable.

Ramiz Raja meets with the players
Meanwhile, PCB Chairman Ramiz Raja met with the players after the game and inquired about the seamer’s injury. Haris stated that doctors advised him to rest for two weeks.

Raja encouraged the players to make a strong comeback while interacting with them. According to sources, the PCB chairman stated, “Win the Multan test and make a comeback to the series.”

England defeated Pakistan by 74 runs in the first Test on Monday, taking a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
The visitors amassed 657 in their first innings and declared their second on 264-7, setting Pakistan an improbable victory target of 343 on a docile track in Rawalpindi.

Pakistan fought valiantly and reached 268 before being dismissed in an exciting final session, with Saud Shakeel top-scoring for the hosts with 76.

The second Test will be held in Multan from December 9 to December 13, and the third Test will be held in Karachi from December 17 to December 21.