Bengaluru, Oct 19 (IANS): Ahead of the clash against Australia on Friday, Pakistan left-handed batter, Fakhar Zaman has been ruled out due to a knee injury, and will not be available for selection until next week as confirmed by Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).

Batting all-rounder Salman Agha, too, caught a fever on the Wednesday evening practice session and is still recovering. However, Fakhar was dropped after one match, and Salman is yet to play at this World Cup.

Meanwhile, several players had been grappling with fever, resulting in the absence of six squad members during their initial training on Tuesday. The players who opted to rest on Tuesday included Abdullah Shafique, Shaheen Afridi, Mohammad Rizwan, Salman Ali Agha, Mohammad Haris, and Zaman Khan.

Barring Fakhar and Salman, the abovementioned players were deemed fit to join the training session on Wednesday. Consequently, all the players from the Pakistan squad, with the exception of Mohammad Haris, who continued his recovery from fever, actively participated in the training.

Australia have a fitness update of their own. Travis Head’s fractured hand has recovered quicker than expected, and he will join the squad in India anytime soon. While he will miss the Pakistan clash, Head may be available for the Netherlands match on October 25.