Sohail replaces Umar Akmal in Pakistan Trophy squad

Wednesday, 24 May 2017 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

AFP: Pakistan all-rounder Haris Sohail will replace middle-order batsman Umar Akmal, who was unceremoniously withdrawn from the Champions Trophy squad over fitness concerns a week before the competition, it was announced Tuesday.

The 27-year-old Akmal, known for his chequered disciplinary record, failed two fitness tests after joining the squad in Birmingham last week.

He was left out of the limited-over squads for the tour of West Indies in March for being overweight.

The four-yearly eight-team tournament hosted by England starts on 1 June.

May 25 is the deadline for changes to squads, apart from replacements for injury reasons.

Akmal has a history of disciplinary issues, and was fined last week for a verbal dispute with fellow player Junaid Khan in the Pakistan Cup held last month.Former Pakistan head coach Waqar Younis termed him a negative influence and recommended he be kept far away from the time following the team’s disastrous 2015 World Cup campaign in Australia.

He was also jailed for a day after beating a traffic police official in Lahore five years ago.

Sohail has not played for Pakistan since the limited-over series against Zimbabwe in Lahore in May 2015, after which he suffered a knee injury which required surgery.

The left-handed batsman, who also bowls left-arm spin, has played 22 one-day internationals and four Twenty20 internationals.

Pakistan open their Pool B campaign with a high-voltage game against arch-rivals India in Birmingham on June 4. They also play South Africa (in Birmingham on 7 June) and Sri Lanka (in Cardiff on 12 June).

Hosts England, Australia, Bangladesh and New Zealand form Pool A. The top two teams from each pool will qualify for the semi-finals.

Discover Kapruka, the leading online shopping platform in Sri Lanka, where you can conveniently send Gifts and Flowers to your loved ones for any event including Valentine ’s Day. Explore a wide range of popular Shopping Categories on Kapruka, including Toys, Groceries, Electronics, Birthday Cakes, Fruits, Chocolates, Flower Bouquets, Clothing, Watches, Lingerie, Gift Sets and Jewellery. Also if you’re interested in selling with Kapruka, Partner Central by Kapruka is the best solution to start with. Moreover, through Kapruka Global Shop, you can also enjoy the convenience of purchasing products from renowned platforms like Amazon and eBay and have them delivered to Sri Lanka.