SYDNEY, 2 January 2005 — Captain Inzamam ul-Haq and all-rounder Abdul Razzaq yesterday plunged Pakistan into a new crisis when they withdrew from the team to play Australia in the final cricket Test starting here today.
Inzamam again succumbed to a back injury while Razzaq has not recovered from an illness which laid him low during the second Melbourne Test, which Pakistan lost by nine wickets to lose the three-match series.
Stand-in skipper Yousuf Youhana said the setbacks had forced a delay in the composition of the Pakistan team, with all-rounder Shoaib Malik and paceman Mohammad Sami already ruled out with injuries from the Melbourne Test. “We can’t even name a team yet,” Youhana said yesterday. “We have to replace four players. There will be a lot of changes.”
There were hopes that Inzamam, the most experienced player in the touring side, would help ease the player shortage but he failed to come through a practice session at the nets at the Sydney Cricket Ground yesterday, leaving the tourists in further disarray.
Razzaq was hospitalized twice in Melbourne after complaining of dizziness and shortness of breath. Although he batted in Pakistan’s second innings he was taken back to hospital after the Melbourne Test after collapsing.
Sami has been ordered to rest because of a foot injury while Malik split the webbing on his fingers taking a catch in Melbourne.
Youhana said his team was up against it in the final match of the series after going down to Australia inside four days in both the Perth and Melbourne Tests. “Australia don’t take it lightly and we don’t either,” he said. “I know we have a lot of young and inexperienced players but we’re still trying to win this game.”
