New Zealand vs Pakistan: Imam-ul-Haq ruled out of the second Test

The Pakistani side has been dealt another blow as their opening batsman Imam-ul-Haq is ruled out of the Test series against New Zealand. Imam suffered an injury to his thumb in a training session ahead of the first Test against New Zealand and would play no further part in the series against the Kiwis. The left handed bespectacled batsman is all set to return back to Lahore to kickstart the recovery process.

Pakistan have already been left reeling with their batting talisman and skipper Babar Azam not taking part in the opening Test owing to an injury to his thumb. Babar is considered the lynchpin of the Pakistani batting line up and has been in scintillating form in the longest format of the game in 2020.

The 25 year old batting sensation has averaged 67.60 in the 6 innings that he has played this year in Tests till now, and has scored a hundred and a couple of fifties, aggregating 338 runs in the pandemic hit year. And, an injury to their batting star at the start of a challenging series does not augur well for the side.

The injury woes do not end here for Pakistan. Shadab Khan was also ruled out of the opening Test earlier this week against New Zealand. He had sustained a thigh injury in the third and final T20I, which Pakistan won by 4 wickets.

And now, the latest casualty is Imam-ul-Haq. The PCB, in its press release, confirmed the news and also stated that the southpaw will be returning home on Sunday and undergo rehabilitation at the high performance centre in Lahore.

Pakistan have their task cut out against the hosts

In the first Test against the Kiwis, Pakistan ended day two with their score reading 30/1, and still trail the first innings total of New Zealand by 401 runs. The visitors are already coming off a loss in the T20I series against the hosts, having gone down 1-2.

With injuries to three of their main players, and a strong opposition to contend with, the Pakistani side have their task cut out in the series against the Black Caps. They should pull up their socks and step up to the occasion, with their main players not available in challenging overseas conditions. Mohammad Rizwan has been handed the captaincy duties, in the absence of regular skipper Azam.