LAHORE: All-rounder Abdul Razzaq is unlikely to play Pakistan’s next match against Sri Lanka in the ongoing Twenty20 World Cup in England, due to his flight schedule.
Pakistan is to face the islanders in the first match of Super Eight stage of the mega event on Friday, starting at 1830 PST. However, Razzaq leaves Lahore for England via Doha in the wee hours of Friday at 0530 PST, and he is unlikely to be available for selection after a long journey.
Razzaq, was recently cleared by the ICC on the request of the PCB after announcing his disaffiliation from the Indian Cricket League (ICL), and has been selected to replace Yasir Arafat, who is suffering from an injured groin.
The ICC technical committee, accepting the PCB’s request, cleared Razzaq, despite his name not being included in the preliminary list of 30 players of Pakistan.
The team management requested the PCB for Razzaq because of the fine form he had showed in the National Twenty20 tournament in Lahore in May this year. He was declared as best bowler with 11 wickets and also scored a century against Quetta, as his team Lahore Lions under his captaincy entered the final where it lost to three-time champions Sialkot Stallions.
Razzaq, while talking to reporters here expressed hope that he would try to give his best performance and to play the first match against Sri Lanka.
‘I am not worried about adjusting myself with the local conditions quickly as those are not new for me,’ he said.
Razzaq said it was his mistake of joining the ICL and now he would only play for the country. He said Twenty20 was a different ball game in which any team could win by giving best performance.
Razzaq joined the ICL after he was not selected for the inaugural Twenty20 World Cup held in South Africa in 2007. In all, 22 Pakistani players had joined the ICL, but many of them now have started to leave the breakaway league fearing it has no future due to security concern.
Razzaq, who had played for Pakistan 46 Tests and 231 One-day International, is first to get clearance from the ICC to play for any country after breaking the ties with any controversial league.
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