Karachi, Dec 6: The Pakistan team management is set to call up out of favour pacers Muhammad Abbas and Hasan Ali as reinforcements for the remaining two Tests against England after fast bowler Haris Rauf was on Tuesday ruled out of the series with a grade-II strain in his right quad.
The 29-year-old Rauf, who made his Test debut in the first match against England in Rawalpindi, bowled 13 expensive overs on the first day on a placid pitch before injuring himself while fielding and rolling over the ball.
He did not bowl any further in the match although he batted in both the innings.
England won the first of the three Tests by 74 runs on Monday.
With just three pacers now in the Pakistan squad, including the uncapped Muhammad Wasim (Jr) and Muhammad Ali who also made his Test debut in Pindi, a reliable source said the team management would be calling up reinforcements before the second Test in Multan starting December 9.
“Most likely Hasan Ali and Muhammad Abbas will be called up to join the squad as the team is also short of bowlers for the nets. But the plan apparently is to go into the second set with three spinners and just two pace bowlers as efforts are being made to prepare a track with turn in Multan,” the source said.
Ali played his last Test in Galle in July this year and he was dropped for the T20 World Cup and home series against England after a disappointing show in the Asia Cup.
Abbas’ last appearance for Pakistan was in August in 2021 in a Test against West Indies in Kingston.
Meanwhile, a well-informed source said that PCB chairman Ramiz Raja was not happy with the performance of the Pakistan team in the first Test.
Raja, a former Test captain, also sent chief selector Muhammad Wasim and domestic cricket head Nadeem Khan to Multan to work with Pakistan batting coach Muhammad Yousuf to prepare a result oriented pitch for the second Test, according to the source.
The second and third Tests will be played in Multan (December 9-13) and Karachi (December 17-21).
Hasan Ali gets into brawl with spectators
Ali got into an ugly brawl with a spectator after being continuously harassed with nasty comments during a cricket tournament held in Arifwala in the Punjab province on Sunday.
The incident was reminiscent of fights involving two former Pakistan captains, Inzamam-ul-Haq and Younis Khan.
A video uploaded on social media shows Ali charging at a particular spectator to thrash him as the organisers rushed into control the situation.
Ali was seen fielding on the boundary line when a spectator started taunting him for having missed a catch during Pakistan’s 2021 T20 World Cup semi-final against Australia in the UAE.
Ali didn’t react to the constant heckling for some time but was seen rushing towards him after a terse exchange of words with the man in stands.
While organizers saved the day, some of the members in the crowd expressed their disgust that Ali’s attitude didn’t behove that of an international player.
A source close to Hasan said the bowler had lost his cool after the spectator used abusive language. (PTI)
