Right before the semi-final 2 between, Pakistan and Australia in the T20 World Cup 2021, the Men in Green suffered from a massive jolt. Shoaib Malik and Mohammad Rizwan were the ones who were absent from the practice session as the duo was down with flu. This has put the Pakistan team management into a fix as their participation in the semifinal match is in a jeopardy. As of now, the two have been tested negative for COVID-19 and there has been no confirmation about the players' participation in the semifinal. Shoaib Malik, Mohammad Rizwan Absent From Pakistan Training Due to Flu Ahead of T20 World Cup 2021 Semifinal Against Australia: Reports. 

If Mohammad Rizwan is deemed unfit for the match, then Fakhar Zaman could be promoted to the opening slot alongside Babar Azam. This equation will only make way for former Pakistani captain Sarfaraz Ahmed who could be included in the playing XI. Also if Shoaib Malik misses out, Mohammad Nawaz will be stepping into his shoes. The remaining team could remain the same. Asif Ali, Imad Wasim, Shadab Khan, Hasan Ali, Haris Rauf and Shaheen Shah Afridi will be the same.

The Men in Green were placed in Group 2 of the T20 World Cup 2021 table. They went on to defeat India, New Zealand, Afghanistan Namibia and remained unbeaten in the group stage of the megaevent.  The team would be aiming to get over the final hurdle to make its way into the finals of the tournament.

Pakistan likely playing XI vs Australia: Mohammad Rizwan/Sarfaraz Ahmed (wk), Babar Azam (c), Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Hafeez, Shoaib Malik/Mohammad Nawaz, Asif Ali, Imad Wasim, Shadab Khan, Hasan Ali, Haris Rauf, Shaheen Shah Afridi

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 11, 2021 12:05 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).