Shadab Khan ruled out of series against England with illness

ISLAMABAD (AP) — Pakistan leg spinner Shadab Khan was ruled out of next month's one Twenty20 and five-match one-day international series against England due to illness on Sunday.

Leg spinner Yasir Shah, who has taken 23 wickets in 24 ODIs, will replace Shadab for the series, which begins May 5 with the only Twenty20 game at Cardiff on May 5. The ODI series starts May 8.

"The tests revealed a virus that will require treatment and rest for, at least, four week," the Pakistan Cricket Board said in a statement on Shadab.

The PCB didn't reveal the exact nature of Shadab's illness.

Shadab is also part of Pakistan's World Cup squad and if he can't recover in time, the PCB can replace him before May 23 without seeking permission of the ICC.

The PCB will now set up an appointment with specialists in England to help Shadab recover fully before Pakistan takes on the West Indies in its first World Cup match at Trent Bridge on May 31.

Shadab is the only specialist named in Pakistan's World Cup squad. All-rounder Mohammad Hafeez is the other spin option with Shoaib Malik. But Hafeez is also recovering from a finger injury he sustained during the Pakistan Super League match.

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