Pakistan's left-arm seamer Sohail Tanvir has been ruled out of the World Cup after failing to completely recover from a knee problem and will be replaced in the squad by promising youngster Junaid Khan.
"Junaid will replace Tanvir, who is suffering from a knee injury, The injured player was declared unfit by his board and as a result, the PCB chose to seek a replacement for the entire event," said a statement from the ICC on Wednesday.
Junaid, a 21-year old left arm pacer, has never played international cricket before but has featured regularly for Pakistan A and under-19 sides.
"I am delighted with this sudden chance to play for my national team and that too in a major event like the World Cup," Junaid told Reuters.
The pacer, who hails from the Khyber Pakhtunkhawa province and has taken 167 wickets in 35 first class matches, said he had always idolized former captain Imran Khan.
"It has been a dream for me to play for Pakistan and give performances like Imran. I am in the squad now and whenever I get a chance to play I will try not to let down my team," Khan said.
Pakistan manager, Intikhab Alam told reporters in Lahore that Tanvir had failed to clear a medical test after the team returned from New Zealand.
"We had him examined by the medical panel after the tour to New Zealand and they said he is still not 100 percent fit for international cricket," Alam said.
Tanvir featured in the recent one-day series in New Zealand but Alam said he was facing problems with his knee while fielding and bending down.
"We can't carry half-fit players in a major event like the World Cup and it is better having a fully fit youngster," he said.
The former test captain said that Junaid Khan had the ability to surprise batsmen with his pace and could prove useful on the tracks in India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.
