PAK vs SL 2017: Usman Shinwari Replaces Injured Mohammad Amir for Sri Lanka ODI’s
Oct 9, 2017 at 3:43 PM
Banking on the same trait, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Monday has announced the 23-year-old Usman Khan Shinwari as the replacement for injured pace spearhead Mohammad Amir, for the upcoming five-match One-day international series against Sri Lanka.
The 25-year-old Amir got eventually ruled out of the forthcoming ODI series against Lanka at hosts adopted home after nursing injury in his right shin during the ongoing day-and-night Test in Dubai.
The youngster in the form of Shinwari, who is featuring for the Habib Bank Ltd in the premium domestic set-up of Pakistan, has further played a significant role in the first-class competitions in the recent past for his long-established club.
According to the PCB’s press release, the bowling sensation following the MRI scans was advised to take rest for at least two-to-three weeks, in a bid to regain the complete fitness before returning to the national set-up. The statement further revealed Amir could only bat if it would be required while considering his injury.
However, during the ongoing Pink-ball Test, Amir (7 off 14) was forced to bat which further saw the hosts struggling in the first innings while posting just 262 on the board, in response to the Lions’ 482. Recently, Shinwari had also represented Pakistan in two fixtures in the Independence Cup 2017, after Faf du Plessis-led World XI toured the country for the three-match Twenty20 series.
(Read Also: PAK vs SL 2017: No Margin of Error for Pakistan Pace Battery: Abdul Razzaq)
The promising fast bowler Shinwari, who was forced by injury to stay out in the domestic competition in the recent past donned Pakistan colours in 2013, when he played his first international fixture against Sri Lanka at the United Arab Emirates.
However, the record seems unimpressive in his early international fixtures, as he has picked a solitary wicket in his four Twenty20 Internationals. Shinwari had featured in 19 List-A matches in which he bagged 32 wickets at an average of 26.63 which further saw his best figures of four for 20.
The five-match ODI series between Pakistan and Sri Lanka will be beginning from October 13 in Dubai, as the final ODI is slated in Sharjah on October 23. Earlier, the chief selector for PCB and former Pakistan coach Inzamam-Ul-Haq got criticised for picking his nephew in the 15-man ODI squad.
Here’s the squad of Pakistan for ODIs against Lankans: Sarfraz Ahmed (Skipper/wk), Fakhar Zaman, Ahmed Shehzad, Mohammad Hafeez, Babar Azam, Shoaib Malik, Haris Sohail, Imam-ul-Haq, Imad Wasim, Shahdab Khan, Faheem Ashraf, Hasan Ali, Ruman Raees, Junaid Khan and Usman Khan Shinwari.