KARACHI: The Pakistan Super League (PSL) franchise Karachi Kings have named pacer Akif Javed as replacement for injured fast-bowler Mir Hamza for the remainder of the season.
Mir Hamza suffered a finger injury during Kings’ opening PSL 8 match against Peshawar Zalmi on February 14.
He sustained the injury when he tried to stop a drive by Babar Azam in the initial overs of the game. The ball hit his fingers and hit the stumps, resulting in the dismissal of Peshawar Zalmi batter Saim Ayub.
The physio of the team applied a pain-relieving spray on Hamza’s fingers during the game. The pacer bowled two overs and claimed the wicket of Zalmi opener Muhammad Haris giving away only 13 runs.
After the game, he was taken to a hospital for a scan, which confirmed the nature of the injury after which the Karachi administration requested the technical committee to name a replacement for him.
In the last season, Hamza bagged eight wickets in four matches for the Kings.
Hamza’s replacement Akif has previously represented two-time PSL champion Islamabad United.
Hamza is the third fast bowler to be ruled out of PSL 8 in the previous two days.
Sultans suffer setback
Before their second game, Multan Sultans got back-to-back bad news as pacer Shahnawaz Dahani and South Africa’s Wayne Parnell were ruled out of the PSL 8 due to injuries.
The Sultans named Mohammad Ilyas and Carlos Braithwaite as Dahani and Parnell’s replacements.
