Pakistan allowed to replace injured players

Given assurance by the International Cricket Council (ICC) that it can seek replacements for any injured players, Pakistan will announce a 15-man World Cup squad on Tuesday. "

We have spoken to the ICC and they have said if any of our selected players are not cleared fit we can seek a replacement from the technical committee before the World Cup," Saleem Altaf, the Pakistan board's director of cricket operations, told Reuters. "We didn't get an extension from the ICC for delaying our squad so we have to go ahead now and hope for the best."

Pakistan have their share of injury concerns, not least the doubts surrounding the four fast bowlers, Shoaib Akhtar, Umar Gul, Shabbir Ahmed and Mohammad Sami. Shoaib, Gul and Shabbir were forced to return home from South Africa, while Sami is still struggling with a back twinge. Altaf stressed that if Shoaib did not recover from a new knee niggle injury, he would definitely not travel to the West Indies.

Clause 6.5 of the Participating Nations Agreement for the World Cup states that after February 13, players can be replaced only in accordance with the World Cup Technical Committee and Medical Regulations. If after March 2, the WICB Medical Committee certifies that the player is injured under the medical regulations and a team management applies for a replacement, he can be replaced only with approval of the Technical Committee.