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The Pakistan team will be without their left-arm pacer Shaheen Afridi in the upcoming second Test against Sri Lanka, which gets underway on July 24 in Galle. The speedster has been ruled out of the fixture due to a knee injury.
Afridi injured his knee while fielding on Day 4 of the Test series opener in Galle. In their official statement, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) confirmed that the bowler will stay back in Sri Lanka and will be assessed by the team's medical staff.
"He will stay with the Test side in Sri Lanka, where his initial rehabilitation and management will continue under the supervision of the team's medical staff," the statement read.
Afridi was exceptional with the ball in the first Test against Sri Lanka. The left-armer picked up four wickets in the first innings. The youngster bowled just seven overs in the second essay before he walked off the field with a knee injury.
The Babar Azam-led side are closing in on a stunning Test series victory on Sri Lankan soil. They claimed a comprehensive four-wicket in the opening encounter by chasing a stiff target of 342.
Pakistan currently occupy third place in the World Test Championship (WTC) points table. They have 56 points to their name in the ongoing cycle along with a point percentage of 58.33.
2nd Test between Pakistan and Sri Lanka shifted to Galle amid political unrest
The second and final Test of the series was originally scheduled to be played in Colombo. However, the match has now been shifted to Galle amid the political unrest in the country.
The much-awaited contest is scheduled to commence on Sunday (July 28) at the Galle International Stadium. The final Test is a must-win one for the hosts to end the series in a draw. The Islanders will aim to come up with an improved performance in the decider.
In the absence of their pace bowling spearhead Shaheen Afridi, Pakistan could bring in one among pacer Haris Rauf and fast bowling all-rounder Faheem Ashraf in their starting XI.
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