<div style="text-align: justify; "><span style="font-size: 1rem;"><b>Pakistan on Thursday called up batting all-rounder Mohammad Haris to replace the injured Fakhar Zaman just hours before they face South Africa in Sydney with their T20 World Cup hopes on the line.</b></span><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">Haris, who can also bowl off spin and keep wicket, was approved as a replacement by the event's technical committee after Zaman was ruled out of the tournament with posterior cruciate ligament damage in his right knee.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The 21-year-old Haris has only played one previous T20 international, against England in Lahore in September.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">He made seven runs opening the batting alongside captain Babar Azam and kept wicket as England cruised to an eight-wicket victory inside 15 overs.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Middle-order batsman Zaman was not originally part of Pakistan's 15-man squad for the T20 World Cup because of his knee problems and came in as a risky late replacement for legspinner Usman Qadir.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Fakhar missed the defeats against India and Zimbabwe before returning against the Netherlands in Perth on Sunday where he made 20 off 16 balls but aggravated his knee injury.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Haris has made four one-day international appearances for Pakistan, with a top score of six against the West Indies in Multan in June this year.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Pakistan face South Africa at the Sydney Cricket ground later Thursday needing to win to keep their faint hopes of reaching the semi-finals alive. AFP</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">bnbd24/kh</div>