Rahmanullah Gurbaz of Afghanistan was injured during a T20 World Cup warm-up match against Pakistan by a Shaheen Shah Afridi yorker, and play was halted as the physios attended to him.
Rahmanullah Gurbaz is down in a warm-up match
Gurbaz was eventually carried off the field by a backup outfield because he was unable to walk. Before the T20 World Cup Super-12 encounter against India, if there was any concern about Shaheen Shah Afridi’s fitness, it was dispelled by the left-arm seamer with a brilliant opening spell with the new ball in a warm-up match against Afghanistan in Brisbane on Wednesday.
Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Hazratullah Zazai, the Afghanistan openers, were both dismissed in Afridi’s first two overs to put them in a defensive position. The fifth delivery of the opening over, a vicious Yorker from Shaheen Shah Afridi, left the right-handed wicketkeeper-batter with excruciating foot discomfort.
It struck his front foot before he even had a chance to get close to putting his bat down in time since it was full, rapid, and swinging in. The umpire raised his finger, but Gurbaz was already down and writhing in pain, so that was the least of his worries.
Rahmanullah Gurbaz couldn’t walk after that Yorker
Gurbaz, who appeared to be in no way at ease, was being treated by the physios when the play was temporarily paused. After some time, the Afghanistan opener couldn’t walk and had to be helped off the field by a replacement outfield.
According to the most recent reports, Gurbaz was taken immediately to a hospital nearby for scans on his left foot. Gurbaz, their wicketkeeper and a mainstay at the top of the order, is someone Afghanistan will be keeping their fingers crossed for.
On Saturday in Perth, Afghanistan will play England in the Super 12. Returning to the game, Shaheen Afridi struck Gurbaz with a quick, low full ball before rattling the stumps of Zazai. Afridi had previously made full deliveries that were intended for the stumps.
After recovering from a knee ailment that held him out of the Asia Cup, Pakistan’s home series against England, and the tri-series in New Zealand, the left-arm seamer is making a comeback to the team. In front of a full Melbourne Cricket Ground audience, the left-arm seamer will be eager to take on India.