Islamabad United allrounder Shane Watson has been ruled out of the remainder of his team’s Pakistan Super League campaign due to an abdominal injury. The PSL’s official Twitter handle confirmed the news: “JUST IN Bad news for @IsbUnited as their star player @ShaneRWatson33 is out of the #HBLPSL with an abdominal injury.” Azhar Mahmood has been drafted in as Watson’s replacement.
The injury has also put Watson’s participation in the upcoming World Twenty20 under a cloud, after he was included in Australia’s 15-man squad for the tournament in India. Watson played each of Islamabad’s first six games, even leading the team in two matches in the absence of regular captain Misbah-ul-Haq. At the time of his injury, Watson was Islamabad’s leading run-scorer, with 194 runs at 32.33.
Watson, who retired from Test cricket last September, has mainly been playing T20 matches in recent months, and even scored a career-best 124 not out against India in January. At the IPL auction last week, Watson bagged the biggest deal, being bought for Rs 9.5 crores by Royal Challengers Bangalore.
His absence will be a major setback to an Islamabad side that has won just two matches all tournament and is currently rooted near the bottom of the table.
