Iskandar ready to play in Chong Wei's absence

Zulkarnain Zainuddin is ready to take to the court, if Malaysia decide to play him in the Thomas Cup opening group tie against Russia tomorrow.

Iskandar, making his second Thomas Cup appearance, is the national team’s third singles in the pecking order, but could play second singles against the Russians if the coaches choose to rest former World No 1 Lee Chong Wei.

If that is the case, national No 2 Lee Zii Jia will take on the anchor role, while debutant Leong Jun Hao will come in as third singles.

When met at the IMPACT Arena yesterday, Iskandar said: “I am ready, but I think more than anything, everyone in the team is also ready.

“Our coaches have always stressed that there are no passengers on this team. Everyone has a responsibility.

“My condition so far has been pretty good too, so we are really looking forward to the tournament. I believe it is also important to discuss with our coaches to know what we need to do exactly.”

After testing the courts for the first time since the team’s arrival on Thursday, Iskandar pointed out that the conditions in the hall were a little tricky.

“We only managed to test the courts today, and I must say the draught inside is pretty strong. Apart from that the spotlights are glaring too.

“But I think it could be an advantage, because like us, the rest, including some of the top players, would have yet to adapt to the conditions here. With that, it could be good for us.”