Panyangara replaces Rainsford in Zimbabwe squad

Tinashe Panyangara last played for Zimbabwe in 2005 © AFP Enlarge

Zimbabwe bowler Ed Rainsford has been ruled out of the World Cup due to an ankle injury and Tinashe Panyangara has been named as his replacement. Rainsford, who has played 39 ODIs and two Twenty20 games, is the third Zimbabwe player to be ruled out of the World Cup after batsman Tino Mawoyo and allrounder Sean Ervine.

Panyangara, who is yet to play a World Cup game, bowled the Zimbabwe Under-19 side to victory over Australia at the 2003-04 World Cup with 6 for 31 and soon after, was fast-tracked into the national side during the rebel crisis. He made his international debut in 2004 and after initial success, suffered a stress fracture of the back, missed a year of cricket and drifted out of contention before moving to England to play club cricket.

Panyangara last played for the national side in 2005 but returned to Zimbabwe cricket late last year after he was signed up by domestic franchise Mountaineers for the 2010-11 season. He has played three Tests and 23 ODIs for Zimbabwe.

Rainsford is the eighth player to be replaced in the tournament after Mawoyo, Ervine, Australia's Nathan Hauritz and Michael Hussey, Praveen Kumar from India, England's Eoin Morgan and Sohail Tanvir of Pakistan.