Pakistan all-rounder Muhammad Hafeez was on Wednesday ruled out of the ongoing National T20 Championship after contracting dengue and has also been rendered doubtful for upcoming T20 World Cup in the UAE. Hafeez, who will turn 41 next month, is now under treatment at his home in Lahore and it remains to be seen if he will gain fitness in time for the mega ICC event, starting October 17.
“It depends on the severity of the dengue virus that one has contracted but yes it is an illness that leaves one pretty weak and it takes around a month to regenerate platelets and make a full recovery,” a local doctor said. The Pakistan World Cup squad is expected to leave around October 14 for the World Cup. Initially Hafeez had complained of food poisoning when he was staying at the team hotel in Rawalpindi for the first leg of the National championship but when his condition didn’t improve he went to Lahore where he was diagnosed to have contracted dengue. Hafeez is one of Pakistan’s most senior players after Shoaib Malik having appeared in 55 Tests, 218 ODIs and 113 T20 internationals. The star all-rounder is already ruled out of National T20 Championship.
