Lahore - Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Friday announced medium-pacer Rahat Ali and batsman Babar Azam as replacements for injured fast bowler Wahab Riaz and spinning all-rounder Haris Sohail for the Test series in Sri Lanka.
Left-arm pacer Wahab injured his bowling arm on the first day of the ongoing second Test in Colombo Thursday and was subsequently ruled out of the match and the following third and final Test. Sohail had injured his knee ahead of the second Test so was also unavailable to play. "Rahat and Babar will replace injured Wahab and Haris for the Test series against Sri Lanka. Both will leave on Sunday early morning," said PCB spokesman Friday.
Wahab Riaz will return after the second Test concludes on Monday while Haris Sohail has already returned home. 26-year-old Rahat, a regular bowler in the longer format for Pakistan since 2013, missed the two Tests in Bangladesh last month after suffering a hamstring injury.
The selectors said that Rahat had now fully recovered while 20-year old Babar Azam has yet to feature in a Test but made his one-day debut against Zimbabwe in Lahore last month. The third and final Test will be played in Pallekele from July 3.
Frequent injuries in the national team have been widely criticised by former players and experts, while PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan described the fitness levels in national players as the ‘worst in the world’. As many as five players fell injured before and during the Bangladesh tour last month.
Pakistan and Sri Lanka will also play five one-day matches and two Twenty20 internationals after the Tests, the squads for which will be announced next week.