Pakistan will be without Babar Azam for the first Test against Bangladesh after the batter picked up a left knee injury.
The Pakistan Cricket Board confirmed on Thursday that Babar will miss the opening match of the two-Test series.
The first Test starts on May 8 at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka.
PCB medical staff are now watching his recovery closely. The board is expected to give another update soon.
Babar’s absence is a big blow for Pakistan.
He came into the series in top form after a superb Pakistan Super League campaign. The right-hander scored 588 runs in 11 innings. He averaged 73.02 and struck at 145.90.
He also hit two centuries and three fifties.
One of his best knocks came in the qualifier against Islamabad United. His century helped Peshawar Zalmi reach the final on their way to winning the title.
After that innings, Babar said he was getting back to his best.
Pakistan will now have to start the series without their top batter as Shan Masood leads the side in Dhaka.
The squad for the first Test includes Shan Masood, Abdullah Fazal, Amad Butt, Azan Awais, Hasan Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Khurram Shahzad, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Rizwan, Muhammad Ghazi Ghori, Noman Ali, Sajid Khan, Salman Ali Agha, Saud Shakeel and Shaheen Shah Afridi.
