ODI World Cup 2023: Pakistan players affected by viral fever leading up to their upcoming match against Australia

The build-up to Pakistan's upcoming match in the ODI Cricket World Cup 2023 against Australia has been disrupted. This is with several key players diagnosed with a viral chest infection during their Bengaluru stay. There are reports which indicate that four to five players, including Shaheen Afridi, Abdullah Shafique, Zaman Khan, and Usama Mir, are grappling with a severe chest infection, resulting in high fever and illness.

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Afridi reportedly contracted a viral bacterial infection, prompting the fast bowler to promptly seek medical assistance. His recovery involves receiving antibiotic drips. Meanwhile, Shafique also fell ill with a severe high fever and is presently under the care and supervision of doctors.

According to a report on Samaa TV, Zaman Khan has joined the roster of affected players, along with Usama Mir, who has been contending with the condition for five days and is now in quarantine as a precautionary measure. Despite this, all medical tests for Mir have returned negative results. The media manager for Pakistan has also disclosed that the cricketers are displaying signs of improvement and are on the road to recovery.

In the meantime, the team led by Babar Azam is eager for a victory in the upcoming match, especially after their defeat to arch-rivals India in the previous fixture. Despite being asked to bat first, Pakistan was performing well in the crucial match, reaching 155/2 after 29.3 overs.

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Pakistan's middle order collapsed against India

Nevertheless, they experienced a sudden collapse, losing the final eight wickets for 26 runs. Consequently, they were dismissed for 191, and in the second innings, India successfully chased down the target in 30.3 overs. With this victory, India maintained their undefeated record against Pakistan in World Cup matches, extending their streak to 8-0.

After the defeat, the team led by Babar Azam occupies the fourth spot on the points table with two wins from three matches, accumulating four points. They are determined to secure a victory against Australia in their upcoming fixture and return to the path of success.