Riaz is still recovering from a hand injury he suffered during the second Test against Sri Lanka in June

Image courtesy of: Zimbio

Pakistan left-arm seamer Wahab Riaz will miss the upcoming two-match Twenty20 series against Sri Lanka as he has failed to sufficiently recover from a hand injury.

Riaz had been included in the 15-man squad, but had to undergo a fitness test prior to the start of the series. Since the fracture he sustained to his bowling hand has not fully healed yet, he was left out of the squad.

Riaz, who was bowling at the National Cricket Academy in Lahore on Friday, admitted that he still needed another week to become fully fit.

With Riaz being ruled out, the national selectors opted to call up uncapped left-arm seamer Zia-ul-Haq as his replacement.

“Wahab Riaz bowled in nets today at NCA, ” a Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) statement said. “He still feels stiffness in his bowling hand. Thus he withdrew himself from T20s squad. Zia-ul-Haq already announced in the squad will replace him.”