LAHORE — Pakistan's World Cup hopes were dealt a major blow Monday with frontline paceman Junaid Khan ruled out of the event after failing to pass a fitness test following a leg injury. The 25-year-old left-armer, considered one of the country's most promising prospects in recent years, sustained a thigh injury in training last month that forced him out of the team's current tour of New Zealand. “Junaid appeared in a fitness test and was not found fit enough to play the World Cup,” a Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) spokesman said. His absence means Pakistan's attack will be led by the relatively inexperienced Mohammad Irfan, following the losses of veteran paceman Umar Gul to a knee injury and ace spinner Saeed Ajmal, who is serving a suspension for chucking. All-rounder Mohammad Hafeez meanwhile faces a race against time to get his action cleared. He was suspended in November last year and will participate in a reassessment test on Feb. 6. Junaid was included in the 15-man squad last month but he will now likely be replaced with another seam bowler Bilawal Bhatti, a newcomer to international cricket. Pakistan plays the second and final one-day against New Zealand Tuesday before leaving for Australia where it plays its first World Cup game against defending champion India in Adelaide on Feb. 15. Petition filed against Amir A petition was filed in a Pakistan court Monday demanding a lifetime ban of disgraced paceman Mohammad Amir after he was cleared last week to return to domestic cricket. Amir was given permission to play domestic cricket by the Anti-Corruption Unit of the International Cricket Council, bringing him a step closer to redemption for his part in one of the most scandalous episodes in modern cricket. But a petition filed Monday to the Sindh High Court by lawyer Rana Faizul Hasan called for the 22-year-old to be banned for life to stop him damaging the image of Pakistan and cricket. The court issued notices to the deputy attorney general and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for a hearing on Feb. 16. Amir's ban was due to expire on Sept. 2 2015, but the ICC used discretionary powers to allow him to return to domestic cricket early. Australia on top Australia will enter the World Cup next week on top of the world rankings following its convincing 112-run tri-series final victory over England in Perth Sunday. Australia's victory means it currently hold a six-point advantage over second-placed India, which also featured in the series. India, the defending World Cup champion, is a point clear of South Africa. A victory over Pakistan Tuesday for sixth-placed New Zealand would see it reduce England's lead to two points, while a win for seventh-placed Pakistan would reduce the gap on the Black Caps to three points. Rankings: 1. Australia 120 pts, 2. India 114, 3. South Africa 113, 4. Sri Lanka 109, 5. England 104, 6. New Zealand 101, 7. Pakistan 96, 8. West Indies 94, 9. Bangladesh 75, 10. Zimbabwe 53, 11. Afghanistan 41, 12. Ireland 34 Clarke ready to play under Smith Australian skipper Michael Clarke, battling to regain fitness from hamstring surgery and chronic back pain, said Monday he would be prepared to play under the captaincy of young gun Steve Smith. Amid reports that the team prefers the stand-skipper who has had a sensational summer at the crease ahead of the World Cup, Clarke insisted his relationship with his teammates was exceptional. And asked on Triple M radio if he would play under Smith's leadership, the 33-year-old replied: “Most definitely I would.” Clarke said he had already been in Smith's position himself. “I feel for Smithy because I sat in his shoes when a lot of the media were calling for (former captain) Ricky Ponting (to go),” he said. — Agencies
