Rahat gets call up for Pakistan

Pakistan will look to unlikely rookie Rahat Ali to bolster their pace attack in the upcoming cricket World Cup.

Rookie left-arm fast bowler Rahat Ali has been given a surprise cricket World Cup call-up to replace the injured Junaid Khan in the Pakistan side.

26-year-old Ali has played just one one-day international, in 2012, and was not considered for any of the 10 one-dayers Pakistan played in the build-up to the World Cup, which starts on February 14.

Junaid was ruled out of the tournament in Australia and New Zealand earlier this week after failing to recover from a leg injury he sustained last month.

The Pakistan Cricket Board said Ali was chosen as a replacement for injured Junaid - despite the fact he was not even in the 30-strong preliminary squad announced last month.

Pakistan picked seamer Bilawal Bhatti for the two one-day internationals against New Zealand in the hope he could fill in for Junaid.

But New Zealand's batsmen hammered Bhatti in the second ODI on Tuesday, pasting him for 93 in 10 overs - equalling Wahab Riaz's record for the most expensive figures in one-day cricket for Pakistan.

That disappointing performance forced the selectors and team management to bring Ali into the 15-man squad.

Pakistan lost both ODIs against New Zealand and will hope for a better show in their two warm-up games in Sydney - against Bangladesh on February 9 and England two days later.

They open their World Cup campaign with a match against arch-rivals and defending champions India in Adelaide on February 15.


Share

2 min read

Published

Updated


Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News daily and direct to your Inbox

Sign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Download our apps
SBS News
SBS Audio
SBS On Demand

Listen to our podcasts
An overview of the day's top stories from SBS News
Interviews and feature reports from SBS News
Your daily ten minute finance and business news wrap with SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves.
A daily five minute news wrap for English learners and people with disability
Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS
SBS World News

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service
Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world