Pakistan spinner Noman Ali hospitalized in Australia, out of series
Pakistan spinner Noman Ali hospitalized in Australia, out of series/node/2430541/pakistan
Pakistan spinner Noman Ali hospitalized in Australia, out of series
Pakistan's Noman Ali, center, celebrates with teammate Salman after taking the wicket of Sri Lanka's Kusal Mendis during the fourth day of the second and final cricket Test match between Pakistan and Sri Lanka at the Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC) Ground in Colombo on July 27, 2023. (AFP/File)
Pakistan spinner Noman Ali hospitalized in Australia, out of series
Ali, who did not feature during a heavy defeat in the opening Test in Perth, suffered severe abdominal pain
It is another blow for the visitors after pace bowler Khurram Shahzad was ruled out of the series on Thursday
Updated 23 December 2023
AFP
MELBOURNE: Pakistan spinner Noman Ali was recovering Saturday after being rushed to hospital with acute appendicitis, with the veteran ruled out of the rest of their series against Australia.
The 37-year-old, who did not feature during a heavy defeat in the opening Test in Perth, suffered severe abdominal pain on Friday.
“Noman Ali complained of sudden and severe abdominal pain yesterday, leading to examinations and scans in emergency that confirmed a diagnosis of acute appendicitis,” the Pakistan Cricket Board said.
“On surgeon’s advice, he underwent Laparoscopic Appendectomy today.”
Ali, who has played 15 Tests, the last of which was against Sri Lanka in July, was “stable and doing fine,” but will take no further part in the three-Test series which resumes in Melbourne next week.
It is another blow for the visitors after pace bowler Khurram Shahzad was ruled out of the series on Thursday.
The 24-year-old impressed on his debut in Perth, finishing with match figures of 5-128 in the 360-run loss.
But he complained of discomfort and scans showed a stress fracture in the ribs along with an abdominal muscle tear.
Pakistan already had a weakened bowling attack after speedster Naseem Shah was omitted from the tour due to a long-term injury.
Spinner Abrar Ahmed missed the Perth Test with leg discomfort, but could return for the second match in Melbourne that begins on December 26.
Pakistanis among 44 migrants rescued by aid ship off Libyan coast
Survivors rescued after days at sea on unseaworthy boat in international waters
Pakistanis have featured in several deadly Mediterranean migrant disasters in recent years
Updated 37 min 10 sec ago
AFP
Crew members of the humanitarian rescue ship Ocean Viking evacuated and provided first aid to 44 migrants stranded aboard a merchant vessel in international waters off the Libyan coast, the NGO SOS Mediterranee said on Monday.
The group, originating mainly from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Egypt, had been rescued earlier from an unseaworthy fiberglass boat and later transferred to the merchant ship before the Ocean Viking intervened, according to the organization.
Libya, about 300 kilometers from Italy, remains one of the main departure points in North Africa for migrants attempting the dangerous Mediterranean crossing, despite repeated warnings from humanitarian agencies about abuse, exploitation and high fatality rates along the route.
Migrants often depart Libya after months in detention centers or informal holding sites, boarding overcrowded and unsafe vessels operated by smuggling networks. Delays in rescue frequently leave survivors severely weakened, aid groups say.
“These 44 people, they are mainly from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Egypt. They departed reportedly from Benghazi (Libya) some five or six days ago. And they are now safe on board the Ocean Viking, recovering,” Francesco Creazzo, spokesperson for SOS Mediterranee, said.
A migrant falls as crew members of the "Ocean Viking" rescue ship help migrants to wear life jackets before being evacuated from the Sider, a merchant ship, by a RHIB (Rigid inflatable boat), in the search-and-rescue zone in international waters off the coast of Libya, on January 17, 2026. (AFP)
Creazzo said the migrants were found in severe physical distress when evacuated.
“They were exhausted, coughing of dehydration, extremely weak, some couldn’t walk,” he added.
The Ocean Viking, an ambulance ship operated by SOS Mediterranee, regularly conducts search-and-rescue missions in the central Mediterranean, one of the world’s deadliest migration routes. According to international organizations, thousands of people have died or gone missing in the Mediterranean over the past decade while attempting to reach Europe.
Crew members of the "Ocean Viking" rescue ship, help migrants to board a RHIB (Rigid inflatable boat) during their evacuation from the Sider, a merchant ship, in the search-and-rescue zone in international waters off the coast of Libya, on January 17, 2026. (AFP)
The latest rescue comes amid a series of deadly migrant disasters in the Mediterranean in recent years that have involved Pakistani nationals. In June 2023, at least several hundred migrants died when the Adriana, a fishing trawler carrying migrants from Pakistan and other countries, capsized off the coast of Greece in one of the deadliest maritime disasters in the region in a decade.
A crew member of the "Ocean Viking" rescue ship holds a migrant before his evacuation from the Sider, a merchant ship, by a RHIB (Rigid inflatable boat), in the search-and-rescue zone in international waters off the coast of Libya, on January 17, 2026. (AFP)
Earlier incidents have also seen Pakistani migrants perish in shipwrecks off Italy, Tunisia and Libya, highlighting the persistent risks faced by people attempting irregular sea crossings to Europe. Pakistani authorities have repeatedly urged citizens not to undertake the journey, while international agencies warn that smugglers continue to exploit economic hardship and conflict to lure migrants onto unsafe boats.
