Mir Hamza ruled out of the third Test against England in Rawalpindi

The Pakistan national cricket team has faced a major blow before the third Test match of the ongoing home series against the England national cricket team. Left-arm pacer Mir Hamza is struggling with a minor injury in his right glute, which has raised doubts about his availability for the upcoming match.

Pakistan, led by Shan Masood, started the three-match Test series with a humiliating loss by an innings and 47 runs in Multan. A new selection committee made bold decisions by dropping Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, and Sarfaraz Ahmed for the must-win encounter against England.

The decision to drop senior players reaped dividends for the home team during the second Test as they won the match by 152 runs to level the series. Spinners Noman Ali and Sajid Khan picked up all 20 wickets on a turning track. It was the first time since 1972 that such a feat had been achieved.

Mir Hamza Absent from Training During Pakistan's Three-Hour Practice

According to a Cricbuzz report, Mir Hamza was absent from training and focused on rehabilitation instead of bowling during Pakistan's three-hour practice session on Tuesday.

The left-arm pacer was seen pacing around the field, and later he performed glute-strengthening exercises with resistance bands under the guidance of physiotherapist Cliffe Deacon.

"It is understood that Hamza also did not bowl on Monday, which was Pakistan's first practice session at the venue in the lead-up to the third Test," a report by Cricbuzz said.

Mohammad Ali to Return to Pakistan Attack for Third Test?

Mohammad Ali, the other fast bowler in Pakistan's 16-man squad, was practicing at full intensity in the nets. Ali could replace leg-spinner Zahid Mehmood for the third and final Test. Mohammad Ali has prior experience playing in Rawalpindi, having participated in Pakistan's last three Tests at that venue.

However, his performances have been disappointing since making his debut against England in December 2022. He has taken only six wickets at an average of 55.50. He failed to take any wickets and finished with figures of none for 57 runs over 24 overs in his latest match at this venue in Pakistan.

We'll Try To Create A Good Test Wicket - Shan Masood

Pakistan captain Shan Masood said that he wants to play on a dry wicket for the series decider against England but was uncertain about such a pitch in Rawalpindi.

Speaking at a press conference after Pakistan's second Test victory, he hoped the sun would help create a drier pitch.

"I don’t know if I’ve seen it turned in Rawalpindi, that’s another issue. We’ll have a look, the groundsmen are already there, they’re working on a Test match pitch and we’ll try to create a good Test wicket where both teams can pick up 20 wickets. I don’t think there’s an autumn in Pakistan. There’s a summer that runs transition into winter, so we’re still hoping that the sun can play its part and the wicket (for the third Test) can be on the drier side," Masood said, as quoted by Sportstar.

Also read: IND vs AUS: Mohammed Shami smashes media for unnecessary hype around Border-Gavaskar Trophy