Pakistan Team Arrives in Dubai for High-Stakes Clash Against India

Dubai: The Pakistan cricket team arrived in Dubai on Thursday ahead of their crucial Champions Trophy clash against arch-rivals India on February 23. After suffering a 60-run defeat to New Zealand in their opening match, Pakistan is eager to get its campaign back on track.

The team traveled from Karachi on a special Pakistan Air Force (PAF) flight without their senior batsman Fakhar Zaman, who sustained a knee injury during the match against New Zealand on Wednesday. Following medical assessment, he was ruled out of the tournament and has been replaced by Imam-ul-Haq.

Accompanying the team were six officials from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), including PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi, who will oversee arrangements for the high-profile match against India.

Injury Blow for Pakistan

Earlier in the day, the PCB officially swapped Zaman with Imam-ul-Haq after receiving approval from the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) Event Technical Committee. The 34-year-old Zaman, who has played 86 ODIs with an impressive batting average of over 46, suffered a muscle strain while fielding during New Zealand’s innings. He sustained the injury while attempting to stop a boundary in the first over of the match and was forced to spend most of the innings off the field.

Zaman’s absence is a significant setback for Pakistan, as he had been in good form leading up to the tournament. In Wednesday’s game, he was unable to open the batting, forcing Saud Shakeel to step in as a makeshift opener. Zaman later batted at number four, scoring 24 runs off 41 balls, but struggled throughout his innings. Pakistan ultimately lost the match by 60 runs.

India to Play All Matches in Dubai

As per the hybrid model agreement, India will play all its Champions Trophy matches in Dubai. Meanwhile, Pakistan is working to regroup ahead of the high-pressure encounter.

Zaman’s exclusion marks another chapter in his ongoing battle with knee injuries. The left-handed opener had only recently made a comeback to Pakistan’s squad after last appearing in the 2023 World Cup in India.

With a crucial game against India just days away, Pakistan hopes that Imam-ul-Haq’s inclusion will provide much-needed stability at the top of the order.