Pakistan suffers a major setback before the Champions Trophy!

Although Pakistan entered the field to prepare for the Champions Trophy, they faced a major setback in the first match of the series. Pakistan pacer Haris Rauf was injured while bowling against New Zealand in the first match of the tri-series.

Haris left the field after bowling the second ball of his seventh over. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said that he felt severe pain in the chest and abdominal muscles on the left side. After initial tests, it was revealed that Haris suffered a “lower grade side strain” injury. The PCB confirmed that he will not come out to bat during the innings.

Meanwhile, Haris’ injury is a major setback for Pakistan just 11 days before the start of the Champions Trophy. Before this tournament, Pakistan’s pace bowling unit was complete with Haris, where Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah were his partners. However, Haris' injury now makes his presence for the Champions Trophy uncertain.

A player is likely to be out of the field for 2 to 3 weeks with a lower grade injury, but a medium grade injury can go for 4 to 6 weeks. In this situation, if Haris' injury is of a lower grade, he will not be able to participate in the Champions Trophy at the beginning.

The Champions Trophy begins on February 19, and Pakistan will take on New Zealand in their opening match in Karachi. Pakistan will then play a crucial match against the Indian team four days later.