England vs Pakistan: Hamstring injury rules Haris Sohail out of the ODI series

Pakistan batsman Haris Sohail has been ruled out of the upcoming ODI series against England due to a hamstring injury. The southpaw suffered the injury during the visiting team’s training session last week in Derby. He was set to make a comeback to the ODI setup after last playing back in October 2020, but his wait has prolonged for the time being.

In an MRI scan conducted on Wednesday, July 7, a Grade 3 tear was found, forcing Sohail to undergo a four-week rehabilitation program at the National High-Performance Centre in Lahore. The left-hander will now return to his home country where his fitness levels will be reassessed.

Haris Sohail disappointed after missing out

“I was keenly looking forward to the ODIs as part of my objective to contribute to the side’s success and also cement my position in the side. In this background, I am disappointed that my tour has been cut short, but I will return to Lahore and undergo a rehabilitation program so that I can fully recover for the 2021-22 season,” Sohail was quoted as saying in Cricbuzz.

Sohail made his ODI debut way back in 2013 but has been in and out of the team. In 42 matches in the 50-overs format, he has scored 1685 runs at an average of 46.81 with two centuries and 14 half-centuries. He also represented the national team in the 2019 World Cup.

Pakistan, led by Babar Azam, have a power-packed batting lineup for the England ODIs. Apart from Babar, the Men in Green have Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Sohaib Maqsood, Abdullah Shafique, and Mohammad Rizwan as their specialist batsmen.

Earlier, Haider Ali was sidelined from the squad after he was found guilty of breaching the COVID-19 protocols while playing for Peshawar Zalmi in the 2021 Pakistan Super League (PSL) in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Maqsood, who played for champions Multan Sultans, was picked as his replacement.

The first ODI is set to take place on Thursday, July 8 at the Sophia Gardens in Cardiff with Lord’s and Edgbaston being the other two venues. The three ODIs will be followed by as many T20Is, starting Friday, July 16.