The Pakistan squad received a major blow when ace all-rounder Abdul Razzaq was ruled out of the World Cup with a knee injury which he suffered just prior to the team’s scheduled departure for the West Indies. Razzaq sustained the injury during a practice session on Monday at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore which will keep him out of the game for at least four weeks according to doctors.

Razzaq who has been out of form for a while was under tremendous pressure to perform well at the WC but his unfortunate exclusion has come as a huge disappointment to the Pakistani’s. Razzaq who had already played two world cups has already played 229 ODIs for Pakistan, recently missed the Test series in South Africa because of an elbow injury.

Pakistan who are going thru a volley of crisis will be under tremendous pressure to perform as the WC will be the swansong of skipper Inzamam-ul-Haq. Razzaq’s injury might just not provide the sheen to the Pakistani bowling attack which could make all the difference to reaching the finals.

Meanwhile the Pakistan Cricket Board has told that comeback man Azhar Mahmood will replace the injured Razzaq. Mahmood, who was already kept on standby given the injury worries in the fast bowling line-up. Pakistan were already in a state of confusion as Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif, the fast bowling spearheads, were in doubt to be fit in time for the World Cup.

Shoaib and Asif are currently in England for medical check-ups and were not present for the dope tests conducted by the board on the players in the World Cup squad. Shoaib had pulled out of Pakistan’s tour to South Africa after he picked up a hamstring injury during the second Test at Port Elizabeth. Asif, who played the entire tour, is carrying an elbow injury.

The Pakistan squad who are all set to leave for the Caribbean’s in a day will need to rethink their strategy as the warm-up games would provide ample opportunities to get their winning combination firing all cylinders. But the unpredictable side that they are might just spring in a few surprises in the WC.