Legspinner Abrar Ahmed, who has been a key figure in Pakistan’s recent Test resurgence, is currently undergoing treatment in a Multan hospital after falling ill during the ongoing first Test against England.
Abrar, who bowled 31 overs on day three of the match, complained of a high fever and body aches on the morning of the fourth day and did not take the field with the rest of his team-mates. A PCB statement said he had undergone a number of tests, and a further update would be issued once results were received.
Abrar’s illness is a major blow to Pakistan, who are already without several key players due to injury. The 25-year-old has been one of Pakistan’s most consistent performers in recent months, taking 24 wickets in his last four Tests.
He endured a difficult time with the ball against England, with the tourists singling him out for attack. For much of the second half of the day, he was reduced to bowling outside leg stump from around the wicket to Joe Root and Harry Brook. It did drag his economy rate down, but he was the only frontline bowler to go wicketless, with his final figures reading 35-0-174-0.
It is in stark contrast to his debut on this very ground against the same opposition in 2022, when he took 11 wickets in the game – and five before lunch on day one – to catapult him to the top of Pakistan’s red ball spin pecking order.
But injuries have dogged him consistently throughout his career. He made his professional debut for Peshawar Zalmi in the PSL as an 18-year old but then spent a number of years out of the game with a persistent back injury. He sustained a nerve injury during a tour game ahead of Pakistan’s three Test tour of Australia, ultimately missing all of them, as well as the first Test against Bangladesh in August.
Pakistan named Noman Ali and Zahid Mahmood in the squad for the ongoing first Test against England, but released them ahead of the start of the game.
