Derek out for six weeks

THE national team suffered a blow when bowler Derek Michael Duraisingam was ruled out of the World Cricket League Division Three tournament in Uganda next week with a knee injury.

Derek, 25, suffered the injury during Malaysia’s one-run win over Singapore in Nairobi on Thursday which capped a fourmatch warm-up tour of Kenya.

The injury is expected to sideline Derak for six weeks, said Malaysian Cricket Association general manager of cricket operations Dinesh Muthuraman.

“Derak is due to go for an MRI scan but the doctor has already said he won’t be able to play for the next six weeks,” Dinesh told Timesport yesterday.

“We have requested for a replacement but we are still awaiting for the International Cricket Council’s approval.”

Dinesh declined to say who the replacement will be but assured that he is equally as good as Derek.

Malaysia face Singapore again on Tuesday in Kyambogo in their Division Three opener before taking on the United States, Canada, Uganda and Oman in the chase for two promotion slots to Division Two.

They leave Nairobi for Kampala today after wrapping up the Kenyan tour with two wins and two losses.

Malaysia lost to Kenya XI by 111 runs in the first match on Monday where Derek claimed four wickets for 55 runs as the hosts were dismissed for 287 before captain Ahmad Faiz Mohammad Noor top scored with 54 as Malaysia folded for 176.

Faiz and Anwar Arudin combined for 140 runs as Malaysia bounched back to beat Kenya Select by nine wickets on Tuesday after bowling out the hosts for 165.

Then came a four-wicket defeat to Oman on Wednesday when Malaysia were all out for 141 in 42.3 overs.

Malaysia ended their tour with a dramatic one-run win over Singapore as Virandeep Singh (90), Khizar Hayat Durrani (82) and Anwar (61) scored half-centuries in the national team’s total of 306 for seven.

Selladore Vijayakumar scored 123 off 128 balls for Singapore but it was not enough as they fell short by a single, reaching 305 for eight.