Pakistan Test batter Abdullah Fazal has been ruled out of the two-match Test series against the West Indies and the upcoming Test series against England after suffering an acute lower back injury during training.
According to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Abdullah sustained the injury during a training session at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy Ground in Trinidad on July 23.
An MRI scan and clinical assessment conducted by the team's medical panel confirmed that the batter requires a period of rehabilitation, ruling him out of both Test assignments.
"The team's medical panel has confirmed that Abdullah will require rehabilitation and has therefore been ruled out of both series," the PCB said in a statement.
The board added that a decision on whether a replacement will be named for the remainder of the West Indies Test series will be announced in due course, if required.
The injury comes ahead of Pakistan's opening Test against the West Indies, which begins on July 25 at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy as part of the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2025–27 cycle.
Meanwhile, West Indies head coach Daren Sammy said his side is eager to build on its recent progress after a 1-0 home Test series victory over Sri Lanka.
Speaking before the series opener, Sammy described Pakistan as another important challenge in the team's rebuilding process.
"Everything is a process. The first three Test series we had were against Australia, India and New Zealand. Those were really challenging," Sammy said.
He added that the Sri Lanka series had given the Caribbean side confidence but stressed the focus remained on long-term improvement.
"We could see some light coming through, especially with the Sri Lanka series. Now we have Pakistan," he said.
Pakistan's tour marks their first Test series in the Caribbean since 2021, when the two sides shared a two-match series 1-1.
