CHITTAGONG (Bangladesh), Jan 21: Veteran Pakistan all-rounder Wasim Akram has been ruled out of the one-day series against Bangladesh after bowling just 16 deliveries all tour.

Pakistan captain Waqar Younis broke the news on the eve of the three-match One-day International series.

“Wasim will fly back to Pakistan on Tuesday for rest ahead of the scheduled series against West Indies in Sharjah later this month,” Waqar said Monday. “We will miss him, but it can’t be helped.”

The 35-year-old, the world’s only bowler to top 400 wickets in both Test and one-day cricket, managed just 2.4 overs on the first day of the first Test and did not even get a bat before he pulled up.

Pace bowler Mohammad Sami, due to return home after the Test series which Pakistan won comprehensively 2-0, was retained to remain with the squad as a replacement.

Pakistan are massive favourites going into the first one-dayer here Tuesday.

Although Bangladesh beat them in the 1999 World Cup — in perhaps one of the greatest shocks in the history of one-day cricket and which is currently being investigated for possible match-fixing — Pakistan put the record straight in their last meeting.

They won that game in June 2000 by 233 runs, at the time the heaviest runs defeat in One-day International history.

Waqar, though, added: “Just because Bangladesh lost the Tests, it does not mean they can’t win the one-dayers. One-dayers are always anybody’s game.”

Pakistani coach Mudassar Nazar added: “The defeat at the World Cup still haunts us, so we are going to take this game very seriously.

“One-dayers are a crazy affair because you don’t have any chance of rectifying mistakes.”

Bangladesh have dropped spinner Fahim Muntasir, former captain Aminul Islam from their one-day squad while leading batsman Habibul Bashar is ruled out with a broken finger.

“We are looking for a 200 plus score if we bat first,” Bangladesh skipper Khaled Mashud said.—Reuters/AFP