Razzaq to replace Yasir Arafat in the Twenty20 World Cup
Dawn Sports Reporter
Wednesday, 10 Jun, 2009 | 09:54 PM PST |
Sehwag out of Twenty20 World Cup
LAHORE: All-rounder Abdul Razzaq is likely to join the Pakistan team in place of injured Yasir Arafat in the ongoing Twenty20 World Cup in England.
It is learnt that the team management has asked the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to send Yasirs replacement, who has been advised for ten days rest due to a groin problem, he has been facing since playing the first match against England on Sunday.
The PCB has already cleared Razzaq to represent the national team, after declaring the bowler has announced his disaffiliation from the breakaway Indian Cricket League (ICL), for which the all-rounder had been banned from playing for the country.
Razzaq had produced the certificate to the PCB, showing he had no link with the ICL, the Board cleared him to represent the country. But by then the PCB had submitted the preliminary list of 30 players to the international games governing body for the mega event from which the final squad was to be selected.
In the past, all-rounder Azhar Mahmoods name had been included in the Pakistan team for the 2007-World Cup in the West Indies, despite that his name was not included in the preliminary list.
Sources said the PCB has also informed Razzaq to be ready for England, where Pakistan had qualified for the Super Eight stage after giving a tremendous performance against Holland in a do-or-die match.
To replace Yasir, another choice was Kamran Younis, but the PCBs first priority was Razzaq, who was the top wicket taker with 11 wickets in the National Twenty20 tournament held last month.