The Pakistan Cricket Board on Saturday decided to rush pace bowler, Umar Gul to join the national side for the last three one-day matches against Sri Lanka in the United Arab Emirates.
“Umar Gul is being flown to Sharjah tomorrow morning on the request of the team management,” said a PCB official.
Gul, 29, has not played for the national side since last February when he appeared in the one-day series in South Africa.
A knee surgery in May has since kept him out of the side although he recently resumed playing domestic cricket and took 11 wickets in his only first class match last week since his injury.
“The tour management has discussed the situation with the national selectors and they have decided that Gul should be available for the last three one-day matches against Sri Lanka,” the official said.
Gul is at present Pakistan’s most experienced pace bowler with 163 test, 161 ODI and 74 T20 international wickets in a successful career which was suspended due to the knee injury this year.
In 2004-2005 also, Gul suffered a back problem which kept him out of cricket for a while.
“Gul has completed his rehabilitation process and has appeared in some One day and T20 games this domestic season and last week also played a first class match for Habib Bank,” another official said.
The decision to rush Gul came after Pakistan lost the second one-dayer after posting a total of 284 in Dubai on Friday.
Sohail Tanvir went for lot of runs in the match.
“I am delighted to be back in the national side and after last week’s match I am feeling now match fit,” Gul told reporters.
OVERVIEW
The ODI series between Pakistan and Sri Lanka is interestingly poised at 1-1 after the visitors won a tense second game by two wickets with just two balls remaining.
Pakistan batted first and made 284-4 from their 50 overs, a not insurmountable target at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
The hosts were indebted to 124 from Ahmed Shehzad, made from 140 balls.
Shehzad batted until the 46th over to anchor the Pakistan innings, although he received very little support.
Only captain Misbah-ul-Haq of the other batsmen passed 50, as he made 59 from 62 balls, while Mohammad Hafeez made 32 and Shahid Afridi scored 30.
In response, the first two Sri Lankan wickets to fall were courtesy of run-outs, as Kusal Perera and Tillakaratne Dilshan were dismissed by Bilawal Bhatti and Hafeez, respectively.
However, the tourists recovered thanks to 58 from Kumar Sangakkara, 44 from Dinesh Chandimal and 47 from captain Angelo Mathews.
They were seen home with two balls to spare by tailenders Dimuth Karunaratne and Sachithra Senanayake to win by two wickets with two balls left amid high tension.
Junaid Khan was the pick of Pakistan’s bowlers as he took 3-52 from his 10 overs, while Afridi took two and Saaed Ajmal took one.
This result came after the first game in Sharjah, which was also a close one that was won by 11 runs by Pakistan.
The hosts scored 322 from their 50 overs, an innings that included 122 from Mohammad Hafeez and an explosive 73 from 68 balls by Sohaib Maqsood.
Debutant Sharjeel Khan also scored 61 from 61 balls opening the innings, while former captain Shahid Afridi finished with a flourish as he scored 34 from 12 balls.
In reply, Sri Lanka managed to keep pace thanks to Kusal Perera’s 64 opening the innings, but no other batsman passed 50 as they were dismissed for 311.
Now, the five-match series returns to Sharjah in what promises to be a crucial encounter.
Team News
Pakistan (probable): Misbah-ul-Haq (capt), Mohammad Hafeez, Sharjeel Khan, Ahmed Shehzad, Sohaib Maqsood, Haris Sohail, Asad Shafiq, Umar Akmal, Shahid Afridi, Saeed Ajmal, Abdur Rehman, Junaid Khan, Anwar Ali, Sohail Tanvir, Bilawal Bhatti
Sri Lanka (probable): Angelo Mathews (capt), Tillakaratne Dilshan, Kusal Perera, Dimuth Karunaratne, Kumar Sangakkara, Dinesh Chandimal, Lahiru Thirimanne, Ashan Priyanjan, Kithuruwan Vithanage, Thisara Perera, Nuwan Kulasekara, Lasith Malinga, Suranga Lakmal, Sachithra Senanayake, Rangana Herath, Seekkuge Prasanna
Key Players:
Ahmed Shehzad
In the second ODI, Ahmed Shehzad scored a well-paced 124 from 140 balls and he will be crucial again for Pakistan.
He scored a great deal of maturity in what was a relatively cautious innings, and if he continues in this form he will set another superb platform for his team.
Kumar Sangakkara
Kumar Sangakkara sits atop Sri Lanka’s batting averages after two games and will be a wicket that Pakistan prize above all others.
Still one of the world’s best batsmen, if Sangakkara manages to score heavily, the Sri Lankans will be in a superb position to win this game and take the series lead for the first time.
Weather: According to Accuweather, Sharjah will be mostly sunny but with some clouds around and the potential for some rain showers during the day.
