PAK vs ENG: Naseem Shah ruled out of the third Test

Naseem Shah. (Source- Twitter)

Pakistan's pace sensation Naseem Shah has been ruled out of the third and final Test of the three-match Test series between Pakistan and England scheduled to be played in Karachi. 

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Tuesday, December 13, confirmed that the teenage pacer will miss the third Test due to a "shoulder niggle".

According to the details shared by the PCB, the 19-year-old seamer will travel to Lahore where he will undergo a further assessment at the National High-Performance Centre (NHPC) before beginning rehabilitation.

"A niggle in the bowling shoulder has ruled out Naseem Shah from the third and final Test between Pakistan and England at Karachi," stated a PCB media release.

Notably, Naseem missed the second Test in Multan due to the same niggle problem.

Pakistan were already without the services of their key pacers like Shaheen Shah Afridi and Haris Rauf. Prior to the start of the series, Pakistan lost their ace pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi, while Haris Rauf was ruled out of the first Test due to injury concerns. The unavailability of Shaheen and Rauf dented Pakistan's chances of winning the ongoing Test series. 

At this stage, the Pakistan team management has not requested his replacement. Pakistan already have Mohammad Wasim Jr as a reserve player in the squad.

Pakistan have already lost the Test series and they'll be playing for pride in the final Test. The visiting England team is leading the series 2-0. The third and final Test of the series is in Karachi from December 17-21.

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