Baisya ruled out of World Cup

Tapash Baisya, the Bangladesh fast bowler, has been ruled out of the World Cup with ankle ligament damage. But they haven't gone for a direct replacement, calling up the allrounder Farhad Reza, who bowls medium pace and bats in the middle order.

Baisya picked up the problem in the Super Eights match against Australia on March 31 and will need six-to-eight weeks' rehabilitation. He will return home on the first available flight and is expected to make a full recovery.

On the evidence of Baisya's tournament form, though, he will not be missed too much: his five wickets at this tournament came at 80 runs apiece. Reza, 20, has only taken two wickets in his entire one-day career to date, comprising 12 matches, and those came at a cost of 160 runs each.

He is, however, known more as a batsman, and has an ODI fifty under his belt.

The ICC confirmed the Technical Committee of the World Cup, via an email to the Bangladesh team management, that Reza had been approved as a replacement. Reza is the eighth replacement player to be called up for the tournament so far.