ICC World Cup 2023: Abdullah Shafique and Shaheen Afridi Suffer Viral Fever Before Australia Clash – Report

Pakistan had a fantastic kick-off in the World Cup, but things took a nosedive when they were handed a massive seven-wicket defeat by arch-rivals India at Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad on Saturday, October 14.

India is riding high with a third straight victory, all geared up for the Bangladesh face-off, while Pakistan’s players seem to be struggling to recover, with reports suggesting that some of them are battling viral fever.

According to India TV, Abdullah Shafique, the trailblazing Pakistan cricketer who scored a century on his World Cup debut, is currently unwell as he was also not present at optional net session on Tuesday morning in Bengaluru.

“Some players got fever in the past few days and most of them have fully recovered from it. Those who are in the stage of recovery remain under the team medical panel’s observation,” PCB said in a statement.

Pakistan team hit by viral fever after defeat against India:

"Some players got fever in the past few days and most of them have fully recovered from it. Those who are in the stage of recovery remain under the team medical panel’s observation." – PCB Statement#CWC23

— Subhayan Chakraborty (@CricSubhayan) October 17, 2023

Meanwhile, their ace pacer Shaheen Afridi has just recovered back from a bout of fever. Their fitness is critical for the upcoming high-stakes match against Australia, and it’s uncertain whether Shaheen will hit the training field later in the evening practice session.

While there is no update on the other players, there are reports that several of them are dealing with health issues.

The Babar Azam-led side is gearing up to take on Australia at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on October 20, and it’ll be intriguing to see if the ailing players can make a full recovery by then.