BIRMINGHAM: Pakistan suffered the first injury blow when paceman Wahab Riaz was ruled out of the Champions Trophy over ankle injury and has been replaced by another left arm pacer Rumman Raees.
PCB said Wahab suffered ankle injury while bowling in the match against India on Sunday, which Pakistan lost by a big 124 run margin. A scan confirmed a “deltoid ligament complex”, and Wahab will need two weeks to recover.
Wahab, who was surprisingly preferred over Junaid Khan, proved to be the most expensive bowler in the Champions Trophy with 87 off 8.1 wicketless overs against India.
Wahab suffered the injury in the 46th over of the innings and could not complete his overs. As per the rules the PCB has put in a request for a replacement player to the ICC Technical Committee.
Raees, part of Pakistan’s Twenty20 squad, has replaced Wahab in the squad. Pakistan’s remaining games are against South Africa in Birmingham on Wednesday and then at Cardiff on June 7.
Wahab also suffered side strain after the warm-up match against Bangladesh on May 27 but did attain full fitness in the days leading up to the India match.
Rumman Raees replaces injured Wahab Riaz in… by arynews
