PAK vs ENG: Pakistan batter Haider Ali in hospital with viral illness

Ali is the second Pakistan T20 World Cup player admitted to hospital during the series after fast bowler Naseem Shah, who also fell ill.

Ali scored 18 runs off 14 balls, but the middle-order batter felt dizzy in the dressing room and was substituted.  | Photo Credit: AP

Pakistan cricketer Haider Ali was taken to hospital because of a viral illness during the Twenty20 against England.

Ali is the second Pakistan T20 World Cup player admitted to hospital during the series after fast bowler Naseem Shah, who also fell ill.

Ali scored 18 runs off 14 balls, but the middle-order batter felt dizzy in the dressing room and was substituted. Pakistan ultimately lost the sixth T20.

Ali has had a below-par series, scoring 11, 3, 4 and 18.

Paceman Shah spent two nights in a local hospital in Lahore because of pneumonia. He was ruled out of the remaining two T20s of the seven-match series after testing positive for COVID-19 on Thursday.

Shah will isolate for two days, and the Pakistan Cricket Board said he would fly out to New Zealand with the team on Monday for a triangular T20 series also featuring Bangladesh, a prelude to the T20 World Cup in Australia.