In the lead-up to their pivotal match against Australia in the Cricket World Cup 2023, the Pakistan cricket team faced an unexpected hurdle as six of their players fell ill with a fever. Abdullah Shafique, Mohammad Rizwan, Shaheen Afridi, Salman Ali Agha, Zaman Khan, and Mohammad Haris were the unfortunate players who had to skip a training session held on Tuesday night due to their illness. However, in a positive turn of events, all of them, except for Haris, have now returned to training.
Rizwan, Shaheen, and Shafique have made remarkable recoveries from their fever and are back in action on the cricket field, as reported by Geo TV. On Tuesday night, the Pakistan players dedicated two hours of rigorous training from 6 pm to 8 pm IST. Shadab Khan showcased excellent form with the bat during the practice, and Haris Rauf was seen picking up his pace in the nets. Babar Azam focused on perfecting his range hitting during the session.
Abdullah Shafique, one of the players who had initially fallen ill, has made an interesting decision to abstain from close contact with people in India to prevent further illness. This proactive move followed Shafique’s unfortunate bout of fever that caused him to miss the previous training session. Usama Mir, a leg-spinner, had also fallen ill but has now fully recovered from the flu. To adhere to safety protocols, the players who fell ill were thoroughly tested for COVID-19.
Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan took time after their training session in Bengaluru to meet and interact with fans. Both players graciously signed autographs and even took pictures with enthusiastic fans who had the opportunity to meet their cricketing heroes. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) shared these delightful moments on social media, captioning them, “Of autographs and smiles: @babarazam258 and @mnawaz94 make a fan’s day at M Chinnaswamy Stadium.”
As the Pakistan team gears up to face Australia, they are under immense pressure to perform well after a disheartening loss to India. The Green Shirts now confront a challenging encounter with Australia, who, despite a shaky start to the tournament, secured their first victory against Sri Lanka. This upcoming match promises to be a clash of titans in the Cricket World Cup, as both teams were initially seen as strong contenders for the semi-finals.
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