Pakistan’s Mohammad Rizwan and Shoaib Malik have both passed the fitness test and have been declared fit by the team’s medical group for the second semi-final of the T20 World Cup against Australia in in Dubai on Thursday.
Rizwan and Malik had both missed the training on Wednesday after it was reported that the two were down with mild flu and fever. They were advised to stay back in their hotel rooms and were kept under observation while the remaining team have their practice session at the ICC Academy.
Rizwan and Malik have both been first XI regulars and have been an integral part of Pakistan’s unbeaten run to to the semi-final stage of the tournament. The opener scored 214 runs in five innings at an average of 71.33 and a straike rate of 127.38. During their final game of Super 12 stage, against Scotland, Rizwan even went past Chris Gayle’s world record of most T20 runs in a single calendar year, having now amassed 1979 runs in 2021 at an average of 57.79.
Malik, a veteran of the sport who made the squad following the injury of Sohaib Maqsood, played a crucial role in the match against Scotland where he scored an unbeaten 18-ball 54, the fastest half-century by a Pakistan batsman in a T20 World Cup and joint-fastest in this tournamemnt.
Pakistan are now expected to field the same XI in ther crucvial tie against Australia in Dubai.