Diana Baig ruled out of Women's T20 World Cup with fractured finger

The fast bowler has been replaced in Pakistan's squad by Sadaf Shamas

Diana Baig has been ruled out of the 2023 Women's T20 World Cup after fracturing her right index finger against Australia.

The injury occurred during the third ODI in Sydney on January 21 as she tried to take a return catch. She only recently returned to action followed a shoulder injury and is expected to be out for four weeks.

The fast bowler has been replaced in Pakistan's squad by Sadaf Shamas, who was originally named among the reserves for the tournament.

Baig's absence is a blow for Pakistan, with the 27-year-old taking 27 wickets and maintaining an economy of 5.69 in 38 T20I outings to date.

^{Baig has been replaced in the squad by Sadaf Shamas [Robert Cianflone/Getty Images]}

Shamas, meanwhile, has impressed in ODI cricket, scoring 105 runs in four appearances, including a half-century against Ireland in Lahore in November. She featured alongside Baig in Sydney, scoring 30 runs off 50 balls.

However, she is yet to make her T20I debut and, as a top-order batter, she is not at all a like-for-like replacement for Baig. Leg-spinner Ghulam Fatima and pace bowler Kainat Imtiaz were also on the reserve player list but were overlooked.

The T20 World Cup will begin in South Africa on February 10, with Pakistan in group B alongside England, India, Ireland and West Indies. Their campaign will get underway against India on February 12 in Cape Town.

Pakistan squad: Bismah Maroof (capt), Aiman Anwar, Aliya Riaz, Ayesha Naseem, Sadaf Shamas, Fatima Sana, Javeria Khan, Muneeba Ali (wk), Nashra Sandhu, Nida Dar, Omaima Sohail, Sadia Iqbal, Sidra Amin, Sidra Nawaz (wk), Tuba Hassan

Reserves: Ghulam Fatima, Kainat Imtiaz