Before Pakistan’s match against India, Mohammad Nawaz was on his knees after his shot sent the Pakistani opponent to the hospital.

Before Pakistan’s match against India, Mohammad Nawaz was on his knees after his shot sent the Pakistani opponent to the hospital.

A team would always want a completely fit group to choose from for the biggest game in the competition. When Pakistan’s top bowler Shaheen Afridi regained fitness only days before the pivotal encounter against India at the 2022 T20 World Cup in Australia, the nation exhaled a sigh of relief. However, Pakistan was dealt a severe setback on Friday when their opener was hurt during a practice match for the India encounter and was taken to the hospital right away.

As the Pakistan team was gearing up for the high-octane match against India at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Friday morning, all-rounder Mohammad Nawaz muscled a powerful shot in the nets which went and hit Shan Masood on his head. As his teammates hurried to help him, the Pakistani opener collapsed to the ground.

A little while later, he emerged from the practice field holding the injured area of his head in his palm. He was transported to the hospital right after for scans, and the management of the Pakistan squad is waiting on the findings.

The 33-year-old has so far participated in 12 Twenty20 International matches for Pakistan, scoring 220 runs with a strike rate of 125.00 and recording two fifty-sevens.

With only two days till the India match at the storied MCG, the injury is a major setback for Pakistan. It will be the second game in Group 2 of the Super 12 round of the tournament, which gets underway at the Sydney Cricket Ground on October 22.