CT 2017: PCB announce replacement for injured Wahab Riaz

Left-arm seamer Rumman Raees will come in place of injured fast bowler Wahab Riaz in Pakistan’s Champions Trophy squad. The ICC’s Event Technical Committee confirmed the change and Raees will be available for selection for Pakistan’s upcoming games.

Wahab Riaz picked up an ankle injury during Pakistan’s Group B clash against arch-rivals India. Following the injury, he was unable to continue with what turned out to be the most expensive spell in Champions Trophy cricket. The team management confirmed the following day that his ankle injury would keep him away from the game for a further two weeks. Wahab will now fly back to Lahore where he will undergo rehabilitation.

PCB goes with Rumman Raees after meeting 

Pakistan’s selection committee met at the PCB’s headquarters on Tuesday to discuss two possible replacements for Wahab Riaz. The two names that cropped up were Raees and recent Test debutant Mohammad Abbas. The selectors sided with Raees, especially for his ability to “bowl in the death overs” and for having a relatively “better strike rate” in limited-overs cricket.

Rumman Raees hails from Karachi and was the third-leading wicket-taker in the recently concluded second edition of the Pakistan Super League. Donning Islamabad United colours, he performed well enough to attract the selectors’ attention.

In particular, he came into the limelight last year after being named in Pakistan’s squad for the 2016 World T20 in India. However, he suffered a Grade-1 hamstring strain, which delayed his debut by a few months. However, he made the cut for Pakistan in September 2016 during a T20I against West Indies in Abu Dhabi.

After having suffered a humiliating defeat against India, Pakistan next take on South Africa on Wednesday at Edgbaston. Pakistan will be desperately looking for a win in order to keep their semi-final hopes alive. They are currently at the bottom of the standings in Group B with a net run rate of -3.024.