Mohammad Abbas will be eliminated from the third New Zealand test injured in the shoulder

Abbas was injured while diving on the field during the Dubai test. © Getty

Pakistani Mohammad Abbas was virtually eliminated from the third decisive test against New Zealand due to an injury to the shoulder. Abbas, 28, was injured in the right shoulder while diving on the field during Pakistan's win in the tie series in Dubai.

A Pakistan Cricket Board spokesman told Cricbuzz that Abbas was feeling a shoulder pain at the bowling alley and that he had been taken for examination on Thursday, November 29th. The final decision regarding his inclusion in the game's eleven for the third test and in the team for the South African tour – which begins with a boxing day test – will be taken after the final results.

If Abbas is deemed unfit, Pakistan would miss him a lot on the ground in Abu Dhabi. His ability to move the ball sideways in almost all conditions and on all surfaces has led him to enjoy the best bowling average of 16.62 among Pakistani bowlers since his debut in April of the year. last. Aged 28, he played a crucial role in Pakistan's victory in matches around the world. He became last month the first Pakistani bowler in 12 years to win 10 wickets during a test. Currently, he is in second place, only 10 wickets behind Yasir Shah, in the count of most wickets among Pakistani bowlers since his debut.

His absence can lead to the beginning of Shaheen Shah Afridi's test. The left-arm leader is part of the 15-member retention, which was initially scored for the first two tests, for the series decision-maker. Afridi was in great shape by picking up wickets at crucial times for Pakistan. In the ODI three-game series against New Zealand, which preceded the current tests, the young 18-year-old leader was awarded the Man-of-The-Series title for have picked up nine wickets at 11.33 points each. Afridi recently played the match "A" with Pakistan in a four-day match against the Lions of England and got three for 50 and four for 80.

The other option for Pakistan is Mir Hamza. The 26-year-old made his debut in Pakistan last month during the second test against Australia. He picked up a single wicket – that of Shaun Marsh with a message that left all the observer impressed while he was cutting off the top of the stump – during the match. The playmaker left an impression because of his disciplined bowling.

RELATED STORIES