New Zealand vs Pakistan 2020: Shadab Khan ruled out of Boxing Day Test; Zafar Gohar named replacement

Shadab Khan ruled out: The Pakistani all-rounder won’t take part in the first Test against New Zealand in Mount Maunganui.

Pakistan all-rounder Shadab Khan has been ruled out of the first Test against New Zealand in Mount Maunganui which is slated to begin from December 26.

Shadab, who most recently led Pakistan in a three-match T20I series in New Zealand, suffered a thigh injury during the third match in Napier yesterday.

The 22-year old player will now undergo MRI scans in Tauranga and following which the extent of his injury will be known.

Shadab, who last played a Test match against England in Manchester in August, was included into the XI as a specialist all-rounder. With Pakistan playing overseas, they could’ve tried the same ploy in the Boxing Day Test against New Zealand as well.

In six Tests so far, Shadab has picked 14 wickets at an average of 36.64 and scored 300 runs at an average of 33.33 and includes three half-centuries.

Shadab Khan ruled out of Boxing Day Test; Zafar Gohar named replacement

In Shadab’s absence, Pakistan have included 25-year old spinner Zafar Gohar into their squad as another spin-bowling option in addition to the tried and tested Yasir Shah.

Yet to make a debut in Test cricket, Gohar’s solitary ODI had come in 2015 against England in Sharjah. Playing for Central Punjab in the last season of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, the left-arm spinner had emerged as third-highest wicket-taker with 38 scalps to his name.

Having also scored a first-class century and five half-centuries in 39 matches, Gohar has it in him to play a similar role as that of Shadab.

Apart from losing Shadab to an injury, the visitors had previously lost captain Babar Azam and opening batsman Imam-ul-Haq for the first Test.

Pakistan squad for 1st Test vs New Zealand – Mohammad Rizwan (c & wk), Abid Ali, Azhar Ali, Faheem Ashraf, Fawad Alam, Haris Sohail, Imran Butt, Mohammad Abbas, Naseem Shah, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Shaheen Afridi, Shan Masood, Sohail Khan, Yasir Shah and Zafar Gohar.