The injury suffered by Naseem Shah on March 5 during the PSL game between Quetta Gladiators and Peshawar Zalmi will see him miss the next week of games as doctors have advised him to rest for seven days. In the game, he walked off the ground after bowling two overs, and didn't take the field again. It was later learnt that he had sprained his left ankle.

The Quetta management informed the Pakistan Cricket Board about Shah's situation and put him on rehabilitation with physiotherapist Nisar Khan. The management confirmed that his sprain is minor and not serious enough to ask for an immediate replacement.

ESPNcricinfo understands that the Pakistan national team's management has raised concerns about Shah's workload of playing back-to-back games in the PSL. Shah is an integral part of Pakistan's plans for the World Test Championship, and the management had earlier urged the PCB, among other suggestions, to even monetarily compensate the teenager for the PSL games he was going to miss, to preserve him ahead of the national assignments. Late last year, Shah was pulled out of Pakistan's Under-19 World Cup squad for the same reason.

"We haven't decided about any replacement yet because we are hopeful that he will recover before our game against Multan Sultans in Lahore [on March 11]," Azam Khan, Quetta manager told ESPNcricinfo.

The bowling workloads of Shah, who turned 17 last month, have been the subject of scrutiny given how young he is - he has only played seven first-class matches outside of the four Tests. Over the last three months, he has made major strides in international cricket, holding records for the youngest to have taken a Test hat-trick and the youngest fast bowler to have taken a five-wicket haul.

With all the success, injuries have continued to follow him too. After debuting in the first Test of the series in Australia last year, he missed the second Test, as a precaution after he complained of a knee niggle in the nets. Before he broke through, in 2018 he was sidelined for a large part of the season with a back injury, even forcing him to miss the PSL that year.

After his spell against Bangladesh that brought him a hat-trick, he soon felt pain in his right rib cage and was taken to hospital for an MRI scan. There, however, he was cleared from any serious injury and was asked to rest ahead of the PSL. He went on to play five T20s for Quetta, taking only three wickets. If he does not play any further part in the tournament, his next major assignment will be the second Test against Bangladesh next month in Karachi.

Domestic cricket giant Wasim Jaffer, the former India, Mumbai and Vidarbha opener, has retired at the age of 42. Jaffer made his first-class debut in 1996-97 season to play domestic cricket for over 20 years and finished as the most-capped player in the Ranji Trophy.

His rich legacy of Ranji Trophy records includes the most caps (156), the most runs (12,038), the most centuries (40), the most catches (200), along with being the highest run-scorer in the Duleep Trophy (2545) and the Irani Cup (1294). He was also the only batsman to have breached the 1000-runs per Ranji season twice, in 2008-09 and 2018-19).

Jaffer also played 31 Tests and two ODIs for India. He finished as the fifth-highest run-scorer in Indian first-class cricket along with 10 Ranji Trophy titles and numerous other records.

Despite having played his last Test in 2008, against South Africa in Kanpur, Jaffer, a technically sound right-hand batsman, brought the same passion to the domestic circuit with which he played at the international level. Virtually every domestic season, Jaffer held some sort of record and soon he established himself as a stalwart.

After 25 years of playing professional cricket, time has come to say goodbye. Thank you @BCCI @MumbaiCricAssoc, VCA, my teammates, media and fans. This is my official statement. pic.twitter.com/xP3wL4u70s

— Wasim Jaffer (@WasimJaffer14) March 7, 2020

Even in Tests, Jaffer left a strong impression as he opened against some of the best bowling attacks around the world. His 116 in Cape Town is the only instance of an India opener scoring a century in South Africa; Jaffer is also part of a small set of Indian Test openers to have recorded multiple double-centuries: he scored 212 against West Indies in Antigua in 2006 and then two years later came his 202 against Pakistan in Kolkata.

Those two knocks meant Jaffer is only one of five Indians - Virender Sehwag (six), Sunil Gavaskar (three), Mayank Agarwal, Vinoo Mankad the others - to achieve that feat. At the beginning of the 2019-20 Ranji season, Jaffer needed 853 runs to reach 20,000 first-class runs. However, he finished with 19,410 runs, which meant he is now fifth in the all-time list of highest run-scorers in Indian first-class cricket behind Gavaskar (25,834), Sachin Tendulkar (25,396), Rahul Dravid (23,794) and VVS Laxman (19,730).

'There was not much to play for'

At the outset of this season, Jaffer was aware of the record and was further motivated by the challenge of Vidarbha achieving the treble: winning three successive Ranji titles. But a recurring injury to his left knee bothered him throughout the season eventually forcing him to call stumps on his career.

Known for his insatiable appetite for big runs, Jaffer failed to get a century in seven matches this Ranji season for Vidarbha. "I decided actually midway through the season because I was getting a lot of trouble with my knee," Jaffer told ESPNcricinfo. "I was actually not enjoying a long time in the field because of my knee pain. I had problems with my knee for long but this time it was troubling me more. But there was not much to play for, to be honest. I only played this season because this was the hat-trick year for Vidarbha. Me and Chandrakant Pandit (Vidarbha coach) actually thought to get to the hattrick if possible, let's try for that. Once the season finished and I thought this it So I thought, you know, my time under the sun is over, so let's move on."

Jaffer agreed it was a very difficult decision to arrive at after having played for nearly 25 years. "I was fortunate enough to have played this long. The passion to just play more than anything even though I was dropped from the Indian side, but the passion to just play, to get better, improve my batting (kept me going). Even though a lot of people actually give up when they don't play for India, but I had the passion and I enjoyed playing. I even enjoyed playing in Ranji Trophy and helping the youngsters and that kept me going."

"One moment just in cricket is obviously getting the India cap. My father, my brother, my family, and I, we work so hard. Coming from such humble background and then getting to play for India, getting the Test cap, you work so hard for that moment. And there are not many cricketers in India that have been able to achieve that, so I feel I was fortunate enough to get that Test cap. That will always remain special no matter what."

'Winning Ranji Trophy against Karnataka as captain was one of the best'

Jaffer won the Ranji Trophy eight times for Mumbai including twice as captain, followed by two more Ranji titles for Vidarbha where he had moved as professional from 2015-16 season. Which crown was the most memorable?

Jaffer readily said the 106-run victory against hosts Karnataka in Mysore the 2010 Ranji Trophy which hung in balance till the very last minute was the one. Jaffer lifted the trophy for Mumbai though he had single-digit contributions with the bat in both innings. "Winning that Ranji Trophy final by five (six) runs against Karnataka when I was captain, that was probably one of the best finals that I played."

At Vidarbha, Jaffer joined ranks with is former Mumbai captain and coach Pandit. He was hired as a mentor and Jaffer instilled the winners' mentality at Vidarbha, who won their first Ranji Trophy in their maiden final, against Delhi, in the 2017-18 season. Jaffer counted that title as a special one, too.

"That was a rollercoaster ride, I don't think anybody, including myself, thought Vidarbha would win the Ranji Trophy. They never had played semi-final before. When I moved to Vidarbha I never thought I did get a chance to play another Ranji title. And (then) we went on to win Ranji and Irani twice. The first season created history for Vidarbha."

He once said: "I don't know anything other than playing cricket." He will be in close touch with the sport even after his retirement: he has been hired as the assistant coach at Kings XI Punjab in the IPL where former India captain Anil Kumble is the team director and head coach.

Even as he looks forward to honing the techniques and mindsets of the players half his age, Jaffer will look back at his proud achievements with a smile. "Getting a double hundred in West Indies, getting a double hundred against Pakistan in a Test match, getting a hundred against South Africa in South Africa, I think no Indian opener has achieved that (in Tests). So that is always going to remain special."

Stats inputs from Hemant Brar

Peshawar Zalmi won the toss and chose to bowl v Islamabad United

Wahab Riaz won the toss and elected to field first for Peshawar Zalmi against Islamabad United on a cold and wet afternoon in Rawalpindi. The toss was delayed by 30 minutes with the start of play pushed back 15 minutes, though no overs have been lost heading into the first ball bowled. A win for either side would pull them level with Multan Sultans at nine points at the top of the PSL standings.

Zalmi go into the game making two changes coming off their 30-run win over Quetta Gladiators. The English pair of Liam Dawson and Lewis Gregory come out in exchange for Tom Banton returning at No. 3 and Carlos Brathwaite in the middle order.

United have made one swap following a 71-run win over Lahore Qalandars. Hussain Talat exits with Faheem Ashraf taking his place in the line-up.

Islamabad United: Luke Ronchi, Colin Munro, Shadab Khan (c), Colin Ingram, Asif Ali, Rizwan Hussain, Faheem Ashraf, Zafar Gohar, Akif Javed, Dale Steyn, Rumman Raees.

Peshawar Zalmi: Kamran Akmal, Imam-ul-Haq, Tom Banton, Haider Ali, Shoaib Malik, Liam Livingstone, Carlos Brathwaite, Hasan Ali, Wahab Riaz*, Yasir Shah, Rahat Ali.

LOS ANGELES -- As Giannis Antetokounmpo prepared to enter a large media scrum after Friday's 113-103 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers, the Milwaukee Bucks star paused. Before stepping into the glare of the cameras, he touched his lip, which had been split open in the game and required three stitches.

Antetokounmpo asked aloud if any blood was still visible and was told by a nearby reporter that he didn't look too bad -- and that, actually, he looked tough.

"I always look tough," Antetokounmpo said, half-joking.

But in the loss, the reigning NBA MVP also looked somewhat mortal en route to 32 points and 11 rebounds, especially after he suffered a scary fall in the second half in which he appeared to land awkwardly and tweak his left knee. He remained on the court for some time while teammates surrounded around the superstar.

"It was scary," Bucks guard Eric Bledsoe said. "It was scary for the whole team."

Antetokounmpo remained in the game and said afterward that his knee -- on which he now wore a compression sleeve -- was fine, though he could be seen gingerly limping around the locker room.

"We had a timeout and talked to him and talked to the medical [staff] and again, you have been around him," said Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer. "You do have to protect him from himself. I'm pretty confident he was OK to keep going."

Antetokounmpo's busted lip, though, was indicative of the physical battle that took place at Staples Center between the league's top two teams in what could have been a preview of the NBA Finals in June. Antetokounmpo scored the Bucks' first seven points and 10 of their first 12, but the Lakers' tall front line presented its challenges.

"I feel offensively we were playing slow," Antetokounmpo said. "We're bringing the ball up, mind you. We are playing against LeBron [James], Markieff [Morris] and [Anthony Davis], like in the half-court. They're freakin' 7 foot [tall], [so] it's kinda hard to like get an open shot or play. We gotta do a better job playing faster. And defensively, we gave them a lot of lot of free throws."

The Lakers were 31-of-38 from the free throw line, while the Bucks shot 17-of-23 at the line.

"We definitely did not play smart," Antetokounmpo said. "I think obviously we tried our best. We fight every game, we try to stay in every game we ever play, but we gave 31 free throws. We put them in the line so easily."

In all, several Lakers guarded Antetokounmpo, especially in the second half.

"We just tried to throw different looks," Davis said. "He's a hell of a player, and we constantly have to have a team [defense] against him."

Antetokounmpo averaged just 0.33 points per direct drive on Friday, tied for his least productive performance on direct drives in the past three seasons, according to Second Spectrum data. He also shot just 1-of-6 from 3-point range.

There were several matchups in the second half in which James and Antetokounmpo guarded each other, giving fans the matchup they wanted between the top two NBA MVP candidates.

"I think it's always good playing against one of the best players in the league," Antetokounmpo said of James. "Like ... you can feel greatness. All of this I've said in the past: That's what I wanna be. Obviously, he's one of the best players in the game. Really smart; you cannot be BSing against him. He's gonna come at you. You gotta be ready to go, you gotta be ready to fight against him.

"I think we were ready to fight. I think we did a good job. But at the end of the day, he's going to get his shots up, and he's going to get his teammates, as well. He's LeBron James -- what can I say?"

The Bucks, who haven't lost consecutive games all season, face the Suns in Phoenix on Sunday.

LOS ANGELES -- It took almost a year and a half, but LeBron James accomplished one of the goals he set when he moved to Los Angeles, ending the Lakers' six-season playoff drought.

Fueled by an MVP performance from James, the Lakers clinched a postseason berth for the first time since the 2012-13 season with Friday night's 113-103 win over the Milwaukee Bucks at Staples Center.

"I came here to put this team and put this franchise back where they needed to be," said James, whose first season in Los Angeles was derailed by a hamstring injury that limited him to 55 games. "The league is not what it is if the Lakers are not winning. And that was one of my responsibilities, one of my goals when I came here.

"Last year, wasn't able to fulfill that. Hurt me to my heart to go down on December 25th with the groin injury that I had -- knock on wood."

As he knocked on his locker stall, James said he congratulated third-year Lakers Kyle Kuzma and Alex Caruso on their first playoff berth.

On Friday, James put together the kind of performance the Lakers envisioned when they signed him during the summer of 2018. He had 37 points, 8 assists and 8 rebounds while also taking on the task of guarding reigning MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo for pivotal stretches.

Though the Bucks' star had 32 points, 11 rebounds and 6 assists, he managed only eight of his points on 3-for-6 shooting when James was the primary defender on him.

The Lakers (48-13) avenged a 111-104 loss in Milwaukee on Dec. 19 in the marquee showdown between the two best teams in the NBA. On Sunday, the Lakers will try to beat another title contender for the first time this season when they square off against their Staples Center hallway rivals -- the Clippers (43-19). The Clippers are surging, having won six straight games and are at full strength with a healthy roster. They beat the Lakers in the season opener without Paul George and again in their highly-anticipated Christmas night showdown as well.

The third meeting between the two Los Angeles teams was postponed after Kobe Bryant's death, setting up Sunday's encounter as their third matchup this season.

"We know how well they've been playing as of late," James said. "They're at full strength. We're at full strength. And we look forward to the challenge to see how we can match up with them again. So, you know, the first game, we kind of threw that game out the window. It's the first game of the season. Who were we? Who were they? They had way more returning guys than we did [at that point]. We were still trying to figure out ourselves.

"And then the Christmas Day game, we didn't play to our capabilities. We played great in the first half and then the second half we let it kind of get away from us. So we just look forward to see if we can continue to play good basketball, no matter win, lose or draw."

Meg Lanning is hoping that Australia have saved their best game for last, in front of a potentially record-breaking crowd, as they seek to claim the T20 World Cup title in a tournament that has stretched them physically and mentally.

Only their group match against Bangladesh was without drama as they overcame their opening defeat against India, a batting wobble against Sri Lanka, a brave chase by New Zealand and the Sydney rain to reach the final at the MCG.

It has been a far cry from the dominating performances they put in through 2019 but nothing less than Lanning expected.

"It hasn't been an easy road to the final but I wouldn't have had it any other way," she said. "We are match and battle-hardened, all our games have been cut-throat, must-win clashes and have all been close. We've had to deal with that pressure, needed to stand up when you are under the pump."

"We haven't played our best game of cricket yet and that's still out there somewhere and hopefully it happens tomorrow. We've shown that we're able to cope and be really calm under pressure and that's what is going to be needed tomorrow. Often in finals, you don't need to go above and beyond what you've already presented.

"On the field it's always a great contest, we have a lot of respect for each other and I've no doubt that's what will happen tomorrow." Meg Lanning

"We'll be going out there to play our style of cricket and just getting the basics done really well. Especially early in the game where there are a lot of nerves flying around. That's going to be the most important thing. I think the team that settles the quickest will give themselves a really good chance in this game."

One of the major adjustments they will have to make from the opening game of the tournament is how they played Poonam Yadav who took 4 for 19 at Sydney Showgrounds as Australia collapsed to a defeat that left their campaign forever on a knife-edge. It was clear during their net session on Saturday that plenty of onus was going into how they would combat Yadav's threat with a collection of net bowlers of various heights sending down legspin.

"We will be facing some slow spinners today at training," Lanning said. "Their spinners can change their pace. It's not just Poonam we need to worry about. They've got some really good left-armers like Rajeshwari Gayakwad and that's really important as well. They've got a really strong line-up right through their bowlers. We'll be covering all bases and making sure we're as ready as we can be."

There remains a good chance the final will take place in front of a record crowd for a women's sporting event with 75,000 tickets sold as of Thursday and stand-up tickets made available on Friday. It is within touching distance of the 90,185 that attended the 1999 FIFA World Cup final.

ALSO READ: Stage set for blockbuster finale as mighty India meet top-ranked Australia

At the Showgrounds the crowd was around a 50-50 split between the two teams and Lanning was unperturbed by any thoughts that blue could outnumber green and gold as her team seek a home World Cup title.

"You saw in Sydney they have a really big fan base, they are really passionate about cricket and really love it and the atmosphere in Sydney was amazing. It's probably got nothing on what it will be tomorrow, I hope there's a lot of India fans there, I hope there's a lot of Australia fans there to pack out the MCG.

"On the field, it's always a great contest, we have a lot of respect for each other and I've no doubt that's what will happen tomorrow. We understand there's one more challenge to come tomorrow, and it's going to be our toughest one so far so we're really bracing for that and looking forward to the chance to play against an excellent team."

South Africa won the toss and chose to bowl v Australia

Daryn Dupavillon, the Dolphins fast bowler, became South Africa's 139th ODI cap - and the sixth new face this summer - as he was handed a debut for the season finale in Potchefstroom. That takes the total number of players that have turned out for South Africa in the 2019-20 season to 33, a sign of the changing times.

Though it has been a tough period, South Africa have won the series and, with a trophy secure, opted to empty the bench. They rested the leading wicket-taker in the series, Lungi Ngidi, to give Lutho Sipamla an opportunity. Left-armer Beuran Hendricks would have played in place of one of the spinners but fell ill on the eve of the match, giving Dupavillon an opportunity.

On a surface that Quinton de Kock expects to be "fresh" in the morning, South Africa benched one slower bowler and the decision was made for them with the arrival of Tabraiz Shamsi's first child. Keshav Maharaj, who capped his franchise team-mate Dupavillon, will play as the first-choice spinner with Jon-Jon Smuts providing back-up.

Australia also opted for a new-look attack, with Mitchell Starc returning home to support his wife Alyssa Healy in the Women's T20 World Cup final, and Pat Cummins sitting out. Josh Hazlewood returned to the XI, alongside Kane and Jhye Richardson, while the spinner's spot was given to Adam Zampa ahead of Ashton Agar. Australia have lost their last four ODIs and though it is a non-World Cup year, will be keen not to extend their run ahead of a series against New Zealand.

South Africa: 1 Janneman Malan, 2 Quinton de Kock, 3 Jon-Jon Smuts, 4 Kyle Verreynne, 5 Heinrich Klaasen, 6 David Miller, 7 Andile Phehlukwayo, 8 Keshav Maharaj, 9 Anrich Nortje, 10 Lutho Sipamla, 11 Daryn Dupavillon

Australia: 1 David Warner, 2 Aaron Finch, 3 Steve Smith, 4 Marnus Labuschagne, 5 D'Arcy Short, 6 Mitchell Marsh, 7 Alex Carey, 8 Jhye Richardson, 9 Adam Zampa, 10 Kane Richardson, 11 Josh Hazlewood