Pakistan's Wahab Riaz injured, out of SL series

Riaz is injured on the knuckles of his bowling hand

It seems Pakistan’s woes are not ending anytime soon. After being given a wrong decision by the umpires on the first day of the second Test match, their bowler Wahab Riaz has been ruled out of the rest of the Test series due to injury.

On the first day of the second Test in Colombo, Riaz suffered a hairline fracture on the knuckle of his bowling hand. Naveed Akram Cheema, the Pakistan team manager, told ESPN, “We had sent him for an X-ray last night and the result shows a hairline fracture, we are not sure if he recovers ahead of the ODI series but he is at least out for two weeks. That means he can't be the part of the Test series.”

Wahab is a very significant loss for the Pakistan side. Pakistan was dismissed for a mere 138 on the first day. Although Pakistan won the Galle Test, they lost eight wickets for just 68 runs in the second session. Wahab is out for at least two weeks, and Mohammed Hafeez has already been reported for a suspect action in the first Test. The prospects do not look pleasant for Pakistan. If they are to emerge victorious, all the pressure must be borne by pacer Junaid Khan and spinners Zulfiqar Babbar and Yasir Shah.

Wahab sustained the injury while facing Sri Lankan fast bowler Dushmantha Chameera. Bravely, he took up his turn to bowl, with periodical assistance from the physiotherapist at the boundary. “Despite the blow on his bowling hand, he was still willing to come out and bowl many overs," Pakistan coach Waqar Younis said. "Hats off to him as he tried to give his best shot." He bowled nine overs before he went off.

Whether Pakistan can turn the fortunes in their favor will be determined in Pallekelle, where the last Test is set to be played between July 3 and 7.