Cricketfiles.com

Allrounder Yasir Arafat was on Tuesday ruled out of the ICC World Twenty20 championship in the Caribbean while key pacer Umar Gul remained under a cloud just 17 days before the start of the eagerly-awaited tournament.

Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi says that Arafat is out of the national team after failing to recover from a calf injury that has kept him out of action since last week.

“Yasir Arafat is out because of the calf injury,” said Afridi. “He himself told us that he is not fit after which we had to take a decision,” added the skipper.

Afridi was hopeful that Gul will get fit in time to catch a flight for the Caribbean where Pakistan are to defend the World Twenty20 title which they won in England last summer.

But the captain also said that the doctor’s report on Gul’s shoulder injury wasn’t very encouraging.

“According to the doctor’s report Gul shouldn’t bowl for at least ten more days,” said Afridi. “We don’t have that much time which is why there is going to be a fitness test for him on the 18th. Gul himself is very keen and confident which is why I’m hoping that he would get fully fit.”

About Arafat’s replacement, Afridi said that a decision was yet to be made but added that opening batsman Shahzaib Hasan was being considered for inclusion in the touring party.

“Shahzaib is very much in the picture for us,” he said. “He is a good pinch-hitter and could be useful for us in the West Indies.”

Shahzaib was a surprise selection for the 2009 World Twenty20 but did well in a couple of games during the tournament. He was later dropped by the national selectors but was picked among the reserves for this year’s tournament to be played in Guyana, St Lucia and Barbados from April 30-May 16.

Meanwhile, Gul has expressed hope that he will be fully fit for the World YTwenty20.

“The shoulder is better and I bowled three overs today at the camp off a short run,” Gul told Cricinfo. “Thankfully there was no fracture or ligament damage and, though I felt a little stiff after the bowl, it feels a lot better now. I will start bowling off my full run in the next day or so and I am hopeful that I will be fine for the World Twenty20. There are still three to four days to go in the camp so there is time yet.”

A member of Pakistan’s training set-up was also pleased with the progress Gul had made over the last couple of days. “He (Gul) is improving day by day,” he said. “He made very good improvements yesterday and today and we’ll keep an eye on how he pulls up this afternoon after practice.”

Meanwhile Yawar Saeed has said that we will not take any risk by including half fit players in the team, even if Gul is 90% fit we won’t take a chance.

Somethings happen for the better, Shahzaib deserved to be in the team alongwith Mohammad Sami,  even though Pakistan has four regular openers in the 15 member squad, Salman Butt, Khalid Latif, Mohammad Hafeez and Kamran Akmal, Shahzaib should open with Akmal and Hafeez should bat at #3, Khalid Latif and Salman Butt should be kept on the bench.

Even if Umar Gul gets fit his recent domestic and international performance is at best mediocre, Pakistan should include Mohammad Sami and keep Gul on the bench they should leave out Hammad Azam.

My Pick

Shahzaib Hassan, Kamran Akmal, Mohammad Hafeez, Umar Akmal, Shahid Afridi, Misbah Ul Haq, Fawad Alam/ Khalid Latif, Abdul Razzaq,  Mohammad Aamer, Mohammad Asif, Sami/Ajmal.

Gul should be kept on the bench and Butt should also keep his butt on the bench.