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Pakistan spinner Abrar Ahmed is likely to regain fitness for the third Test against Australia on January 3 at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) according to ESPNcricinfo.
Abrar complained of discomfort in his right leg on the third day of the four-day Test against Prime Minister's XI at the beginning of the last month. During the course of the game, Abrar bowled a total of 27 overs against the Prime Minister's XI and ended up conceding 80 runs while claiming the wicket of Marcus Harris. He went on to miss out on two consecutive Test matches which saw Australia clinching the series. Ahead of the third Test, ESPNcricinfo revealed that Abrar "bowled for a significant period in the nets during Pakistan's training session on Monday without obvious discomfort, but the nature of his injury does not guarantee his participation." ESPNcricinfo also stated that the part of the issue troubling Abrar involves a pinched nerve in his right leg and a weakness in his muscles. He was also given injections as part of his treatment. But Pakistan will wait to see how he feels after Monday's training session. His availability to start in the final Test will be determined on the basis of whether he feels significant pain or discomfort over the next hours. Right-arm spinner Sajid Khan was added to the squad after the chairman of the selection committee Wahab Riaz approved the name of the off-spinner. If Abrar is unable to achieve fitness, Pakistan will remain unlikely to risk him as the off-spinner is a part of the Men in Green squad for the five-match T20I series against New Zealand. Overall, Abrar has played six Tests since making his debut against England in December 2022. But 11 wickets in his first Test, and 38 overall further bolstered his position and made him a crucial asset for the team in the red ball format. (ANI)
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