World Test Championship

Abdullah Fazal Ruled Out of West Indies and England Test Series With Back Injury

Latest Cricket News — Sun, 26 Jul 2026 10:00:13 +0000

Pakistan Suffer Major Blow as Abdullah Fazal Ruled Out of West Indies and England Tests

Abdullah Fazal Ruled Out of West Indies and England Test Series With Back Injury

Pakistan have suffered a significant injury setback with young opener Abdullah Fazal ruled out of the upcoming Test series against West Indies and England due to a lower back injury.

The 23-year-old sustained the injury during a training session at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Tarouba, where Pakistan are preparing for their opening Test against West Indies.

Medical examinations have confirmed that Fazal will require rehabilitation before returning to competitive cricket.

Abdullah Fazal Suffers Back Injury in Training

Fazal picked up the injury while training with the Pakistan squad in Tarouba.

Following the setback, the opener underwent an MRI scan and further medical assessment, which confirmed the extent of the lower back problem.

He has subsequently been ruled out of Pakistan’s upcoming ICC World Test Championship 2025-27 assignments against West Indies and England.

Pakistan have not yet announced a replacement.

Major Setback After Impressive Test Debut

The timing of the injury is particularly disappointing for Fazal after an encouraging beginning to his international career.

The young batter made his Test debut against Bangladesh in May and immediately made an impression.

He registered half-centuries in both innings and finished as Pakistan’s leading run-scorer in the match.

Those performances had strengthened his claim for an extended opportunity at the top of Pakistan’s Test batting order.

His injury now forces the team management to reconsider its batting combination.

Awais Zafar Could Make Test Debut

Fazal’s absence could create an opportunity for Awais Zafar to make his Test debut.

The middle-order batter was initially added to Pakistan’s squad as cover for the injured Saud Shakeel.

With another batter now unavailable, Pakistan could turn to Zafar when finalising their playing XI.

The team management will have to determine whether to make a direct change at the top or restructure the batting order to accommodate the available players.

Imam-ul-Haq Set for Return

Experienced opener Imam-ul-Haq is expected to return to Pakistan’s top order.

Imam missed Pakistan’s previous Test against Bangladesh, where Azan Awais and Abdullah Fazal formed the opening partnership.

His return now becomes even more important following Fazal’s injury.

The left-handed batter brings significantly more international experience and could provide some stability at the top of the order during a challenging overseas assignment.

Fazal Had Made Promising Start to Test Career

Fazal’s early Test numbers had provided Pakistan with considerable encouragement.

Across his first two Tests, he has scored 141 runs, including two half-centuries.

His highest Test score currently stands at 66.

While still at the beginning of his international career, his performances had made him one of the young batters Pakistan were hoping to develop during the current World Test Championship cycle.

The rehabilitation period will now determine how quickly he can return to contention.

Pakistan Begin West Indies Test Challenge

Pakistan’s opening Test against West Indies is scheduled to begin on July 25 in Tarouba.

The series carries important World Test Championship points for both teams.

Pakistan currently find themselves at the bottom of the World Test Championship standings, while West Indies sit one position above them in eighth.

That makes the series particularly important as both sides attempt to improve their position in the championship table.

For Pakistan, however, the immediate challenge will be finding the right batting combination without one of their promising young openers.

Nahid Rana Ruled Out of Australia Tests, Bangladesh Face Major Injury Blow

Latest Cricket News — Sat, 25 Jul 2026 19:28:38 +0000

Bangladesh Suffer Major Blow as Nahid Rana Ruled Out of Australia Test Series

Nahid Rana Ruled Out of Australia Tests, Bangladesh Face Major Injury Blow

Bangladesh have suffered a significant setback ahead of their upcoming Test tour of Australia, with fast bowler Nahid Rana ruled out of the entire two-match series due to injury.

A Bangladesh Cricket Board official confirmed that Rana will not travel to Australia as he continues his recovery from a Grade 2 left side strain.

The injury situation has created further concerns for Bangladesh, with Litton Das and Shoriful Islam also unlikely to be available for the opening Test in Darwin.

Nahid Rana Ruled Out of Australia Tour

Rana sustained the injury during the second T20I against Zimbabwe earlier this month.

There had initially been some hope that the fast bowler could recover in time for the Australia series. However, subsequent medical examinations confirmed the severity of the injury.

Scans revealed a Grade 2 side strain, with Bangladesh’s medical team estimating a recovery period of approximately six to eight weeks from the date of injury.

That timeline has effectively ruled Rana out of both Tests.

His absence could be particularly significant in Australian conditions, where his extra pace and ability to generate bounce could have provided Bangladesh with an important attacking option.

Litton Das Facing Fitness Test

Bangladesh are also sweating over the availability of experienced wicketkeeper-batter Litton Das.

Litton suffered a left calf injury and subsequently travelled to Singapore for specialist consultation.

He underwent platelet-rich plasma (PRP) treatment and is expected to begin a progressive running and conditioning programme from July 28.

His fitness assessment is scheduled for around August 13.

That makes his participation in the opening Test extremely unlikely, although he could potentially return for the second Test if he receives medical clearance.

The BCB has indicated that Litton’s availability will depend on him successfully passing the required fitness tests.

Shoriful Islam Also Likely to Miss First Test

Left-arm fast bowler Shoriful Islam is another player dealing with an injury suffered during the Zimbabwe series.

Shoriful sustained a Grade 1 left hamstring injury.

His rehabilitation appears to be progressing, with the pacer expected to resume bowling from July 29.

A fitness assessment is planned around August 12.

Given the timing, Shoriful is unlikely to be ready for Bangladesh’s first Test against Australia. However, he has a better chance of returning for the second match if he completes his bowling workload without any further problems and receives medical clearance.

Bangladesh’s Injury Problems Before Australia Tests

Bangladesh could therefore enter the opening Test without three important players.

Nahid Rana is confirmed to miss the entire series, while Litton Das and Shoriful Islam are both expected to miss at least the first Test.

The absence of Rana and potentially Shoriful would force Bangladesh to rethink the composition of their pace attack.

Litton’s possible absence would also create a major gap in the batting order because of his experience at Test level.

Australia vs Bangladesh Test Series Schedule

The two-match series forms part of the ICC World Test Championship.

The opening Test will be played in Darwin from August 13 to 17, before the teams travel to Mackay for the second and final Test.

The second Test is scheduled for August 22 to 26.

Bangladesh will now hope Litton and Shoriful make sufficient progress during rehabilitation to strengthen the squad for the latter stages of what promises to be a challenging Australian tour.