The Lahore captain sustained the injury while bowling his second over in his side’s defence of 138, when Karachi batsman Colin Ingram struck a firm shot back down the ground which hit Hafeez on his right thumb. He immediately left the field, handing captaincy reins to AB de Villiers, and didn’t return for the remainder of the game.

Liam Livingstone was in record-breaking form in the #PSL today!https://t.co/lnLxmfbXSv

— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) February 15, 2019

He was also absent for his side’s defeat to Peshawar Zalmi on Sunday, February 19, and it has since been confirmed that Hafeez has suffered a fracture which will require surgery, meaning his tournament is over, and also putting his participation in this summer’s World Cup in question.

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The blow compounds a tough start to the season for Lahore. Despite securing their first victory of the competition over Karachi, they currently sit bottom with two losses from three games. They have finished bottom of the table three years in a row in the PSL.