Shehzad ruled out of remainder of series

Pakistan will be without opening batsman Ahmed Shehzad for the rest of the Test series against New Zealand, after he picked up a skull fracture in the first Test in Abu Dhabi.

Shehzad was well on his way to a double century when he was struck on the side of his face by a Corey Anderson bouncer. The blow caused his to drop his bat on his wickets, so adding insult to injury was the fact that he was out for 176.

Scans later revealed a hairline fracture on his zygomatic arch, and his face was visibly swollen as he left the field. As such, he was ruled out of the game, and the bosses thought it best that he returned to Pakistan.

Moin Khan, the Pakistan team manager, said: "Since Shehzad had been advised not to participate in sporting activity for a minimum of three weeks, and he could take no further part in the ongoing Test match, it was considered prudent to send him back home for complete rest and recuperation."

Though Pakistan ended up winning the match by 28 runs, the loss of Shehzad was a big blow as he was in superb form. Aside from the 176 in this game, he also scored a ton in the Tests against Australia.

Latest