Mohammad Rizwan doubtful for West Indies Test series

LAHORE: Pakistan wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan is facing a race against time to prove his fitness for the upcoming two-match Test series against the West Indies, scheduled to begin next month.

Rizwan is currently attending Pakistan's ongoing red-ball training camp at the National Cricket Academy (NCA), which began on 8 June and will continue until 10 July.

However, reports indicate that the experienced wicketkeeper joined the camp a week later than scheduled and has since been undergoing rehabilitation under the supervision of the team's medical staff.

As a result, he has remained sidelined from regular training activities and practice sessions.

The Pakistan Cricket Board's (PCB) medical team is expected to assess Rizwan's fitness on 6 July, with the evaluation set to determine his availability for the Caribbean tour.

Pakistan are expected to depart for the West Indies on 13 July ahead of the Test series. The team will also play a four-day warm-up match starting on 18 July as part of their preparations.

Should Rizwan fail to regain full fitness in time, wicketkeepers Ghazi Ghori and Rohail Nazir are likely to be included in the touring squad as potential replacements.

Rizwan has been Pakistan's most consistent performer in Test cricket in recent years. Across his last 15 Test appearances, he has amassed 1,157 runs, including one century and nine half-centuries, making him the country's leading run-scorer in the format during that period.

For the unversed, the two-match Test series against the West Indies will be held in Trinidad and Tobago, with the first Test scheduled from 25 to 29 July and the second from 2 to 6 August.