Naseem was in visible discomfort during the Rawalpindi Test, particularly while throwing the ball in from the outfield. However, he still put in an impressive bowling performance, claiming five wickets on an unresponsive surface, including 3 for 140 in England’s first innings.
According to the PCB, he will now travel to the High Performance Centre in Lahore to undergo further assessment at the National High Performance Centre before beginning rehabilitation. Both the England and Pakistan squads will set off for Karachi on Wednesday afternoon.
The Pakistan team management has not called up a replacement at this stage. However, his absence increases the strain on their fast-bowling stocks, with Shaheen Shah Afridi ruled out after aggravating a knee injury during the T20 World Cup final in Melbourne last month, and Haris Rauf injuring his quad on debut in Rawalpindi.
Pakistan had considered a recall for Hasan Ali in Multan, but in the end they opted to put their faith in allrounders, with Mohammad Ali the only specialist seamer in their XI for the second Test. Faheem Ashraf shared the new ball, while Mohammad Nawaz and the debutant mystery spinner, Abrar Ahmed were added to the side.
Depending on the surface at the National Stadium, Pakistan may consider a debut for Mohammad Wasim jnr who impressed during the T20 World. He has, however, only played seven first-class matches, much like Rauf – who had played eight first-class games before his own debut.
