Pakistan were forced to abandon the series for the second time in a matter of days with spinner Noman Ali suffering from appendicitis.
Ali, who did not play in the first Test, will miss the rest of Pakistan’s series in Australia after undergoing surgery in Melbourne on Saturday.
“Noman Ali complained of sudden and severe abdominal pain yesterday, which led to emergency examinations and scans which confirmed the diagnosis of acute appendicitis,” a statement from the Pakistan team said.
“After the operation he is stable and doing well. He will be released later (on Saturday).”
This comes after fast bowler Khurram Shahzad was ruled out for the remainder of the Benaud-Qadir series on Friday.
After impressing on his Test debut in Perth last week, Shahzad suffered a stress fracture in his 10th rib and a torn abdominal muscle.
Pakistan had already traveled to Australia with a weakened bowling line-up after quick Naseem Shah was ruled out due to a long-term injury.
Leg-spinner Abrar Ahmed missed the Perth Test due to right leg discomfort, while blistering fast bowler Haris Rauf opted to play for the Melbourne Stars in the Big Bash League rather than feature in the Pakistan squad.
Shaheen Afridi had to bear a heavy burden at just 23 years old.
While Pakistan will be forced to make changes to their bowling stocks, the tourists could also opt for a change behind the stumps to level the series.
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Wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan staked his claim for a Boxing Day Test recall with an impressive knock in a two-day practice match against Victoria.
Rizwan hit a free 50 from 70 balls before retiring on the first day of the hitout, which was played behind closed doors at the Junction Oval in St Kilda.
The white-ball star was surprisingly overlooked in the first Test, with Pakistan opting for veteran Sarfaraz Ahmed behind the stumps.
But Ahmed struggled badly with the bat in the series opener and couldn’t make a significant impact with the gloves either.
Pakistan lost by 360 runs in Perth – their 15th consecutive Test defeat in Australia, their last win coming at the SCG in 1995.
