Pakistan has potentially suffered a major blow ahead of their crucial World Cup game against England as pacer Haris Rauf is feared to be doubtful for the game due to an injury.

According to the details, Haris Rauf underwent a medical test at a local hospital in Kolkata after expressing discomfort due to a rib sprain, which he suffered during Pakistan’s win against New Zealand in their previous match.

The national team’s spokesperson informed the media that Rauf’s scan results came back clean and expressed optimism that he would fully recover before the match.

Haris Rauf initially experienced discomfort while playing in a match against New Zealand ain Bengaluru last week, ultimately forcing him to exit the field.

It should be noted that Shadab Khan also left the field due to a concussion during the match against South Africa in Chennai. He has not played in a game since, and it remains uncertain whether he will participate in the next match for the Green Shirts.

Moreover, Pakistan’s chances of reaching the World Cup semi-finals remain challenging, as their fate is not solely within their control. Their qualification for the semi-finals relies on the outcomes of Afghanistan and New Zealand.

Afghanistan is set to face two challenging World Cup matches against formidable teams, Australia and South Africa, on November 7 and November 10. These matches are particularly tough considering the strong form of their opponents.

Afghanistan will secure direct qualification with 12 points if they win both matches, surpassing both New Zealand and Pakistan in the standings.

Currently, Pakistan’s primary competition is against New Zealand, with both teams having one more match to play. However, the Black Caps hold an advantage in terms of their net run rate (NRR). They are set to face the struggling Sri Lanka side on November 9 in Bengaluru.

As of now, New Zealand holds the fourth position in the rankings with a net run rate (NRR) of 0.398, while Pakistan is ranked fifth with an NRR of 0.036.

Source: Pro Pakistani