Pak cricketer spooked in NZ

Karachi, Jan. 26: Pakistan's promising young all-rounder Haris Sohail complained of supernatural presence in his hotel room in New Zealand, forcing the management to shift him to another room.

According to media reports, Sohail woke up in the night scared, insisting there was a supernatural presence in his room. The youngster insisted on shifting to another room and by that time had developed high fever after which the team authorities pressed the hotel management to change his room immediately.

This is the probably the first time a Pakistani cricketer has faced a problem of this sort on tour as usually in the past, players have been caught up in controversies pertaining to their own behaviour.

Pakistan’s World Cup squad is currently in New Zealand to play two one-day internationals and some warm up games before they move on to Australia for the mega event.

On Sunday in their first warm up match, the Pakistanis lost to a New Zealand President XI but captain Misbah-ul-Haq returned from a hamstring injury with a hundred.

A team official said it had been decided to give Misbah rest for the second warm up game as he had just recovered from his injury and the management didn’t want to physically tax him.

The official said Haris Sohail who didn’t play the first match and paceman, Bilawal Bhatti would play in the second warm up game on Tuesday.

But the team management has decided to not risk leg spinner, Yasir Shah or tall left arm pacer, Muhammad Irfan until the first one-day international against the Kiwis on January 31.

— PTI

Pak allrounder Haris Sohail woke up in the night scared, insisting there was a supernatural presence in his hotel room in New Zealand — where the team are on tour — forcing the management to shift him to another room