Babar Azam suffered a fractured thumb of his right hand during training on December 13, after which he was offered rest for 12 days and is engaged in physical training.
Sources said that the injury for Babar Azam’s return to cricket will be reviewed on December 21 and the captain’s 12 days are coming to an end on December 25, so wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan should lead the Test team if he is not fully fit.
On the other hand, the opener Imam-ul-Haq’s participation in the first Test is also doubtful, he has a fractured thumb in his left hand and doctors have also instructed him to stay away from cricket for 12 days.
A two-Test series is to be played Pakistan vs New Zealand and the first Test between the two teams will start on December 26.