Pakistan's Riaz out of T20 series vs Sri Lanka with hand injury

Pakistan fast bowler Wahab Riaz ruled himself out of the team's two-match Twenty20 series against Sri Lanka due to an ongoing hand injury, the Pakistan cricket board said on Saturday.

Pakistan fast bowler Wahab Riaz ruled himself out of the team's two-match Twenty20 series against Sri Lanka due to an ongoing hand injury, the Pakistan cricket board said on Saturday.

Pakistan cricketer Wahab Riaz celebrates taking a wicket during the fourth day of the first Test between Sri Lanka and Pakistan at the Galle International Cricket Stadium on June 20, 2015. (AFP Photo)

The 30-year-old was named in the 15-man squad subject to complete recovery from the injury, sustained during the second Test against Sri Lanka earlier in July.

But after bowling during a fitness test on Friday, it was found that the left-arm paceman had not fully recovered.

Riaz will be replaced by another left-arm fast bowler, Zia-ul-Haq, who was in the squad as a stand-by.

"Riaz bowled in nets on Friday and still feels stiffness in his bowling hand. Thus he withdrew himself from T20s squad. Zia will replace him," a Pakistan Cricket Board statement said.

Twenty-year-old Zia was impressive during a Pakistan 'A' team tour of Sri Lanka last month.

Riaz said he was disappointed. "Unfortunately still some stiffness in my bowling hand Hopefully another week or so to give my 100 percent," Riaz said on his Twitter account.

Squad: Shahid Afridi (captain), Ahmed Shehzad, Nauman Anwar, Mohammad Hafeez, Mukhtar Ahmed, Umar Akmal, Shoaib Malik, Mohammad Rizwan, Sarfraz Ahmed, Yasir Shah, Sohail Tanvir, Imad Wasim, Anwar Ali, Mohammad Irfan, Zia-ul-Haq.