And it seemed that Razzaq had cemented his place in the squad after his significant contribution in Pakistan’s World Twenty20 championship win in England in June.

The 29-year-old player is now left in the cold after a spate of unimpressive outings during the disastrous tour of Sri Lanka.

Razzaq was ignored for the Champions Trophy with the national selectors voting in favour of Rana Naved-ul-Hasan, another former ICL player, for a place in the 15-man touring party for South Africa.

“I’m obviously disappointed at being dropped for the Champions Trophy,” said Razzaq. “I had regained my fitness and was looking forward to play in the tournament. But I’m hopeful of making a comeback soon.”

Razzaq, who has an impressive One-day record with 4,529 runs and 250 wickets from 234 outings, will find it really tough to regain a place in the national team.

His batting has been not been impressive since his return to international cricket and in the presence of pacers like Mohammad Asif and Rana Naved, it would be difficult for Razzaq to get the selectors’ nod only on the basis of his medium-pace bowling.

However, the Lahore-based player is not intimidated.

“I’ve never avoided hard work and am willing to put in the hours in order to get back my place in the Pakistan team,” said Razzaq, who has played 46 Tests for 100 wickets and 1,946 runs.

Razzaq said he has no regrets on quitting the cash-rich ICL, in which he was among the star cricketers.

“It (ICL) is a thing of past. All I’m interested now is to focus on my career with the Pakistan team,” he said.

Razzaq was banned by the Pakistan Cricket Board along with several other compatriots after they switched allegiance to the ICL – an unofficial Twenty20 league run by one of the biggest media groups in India.

Earlier this year, he severed ties with the ICL after which the PCB pardoned and recalled him in the Pakistan team during the World Twenty20 as a replacement for injured all-rounder Yasir Arafat.

Gul is suffering from an ankle injury and Razzaq has a thigh strain.

Pakistan coach Intikhab Alam said that Gul has also been ruled out of the one-off Twenty20 International but hoped Razzaq would recovering in time.

The fourth match of the series will be played on August 7 and the fifth ODI on August 9 while the T20 match will be played on August 12th in Colombo.

The Pakistan team has come in for some scathing criticism after their debacle in the Test and one-day series despite having gone to Sri Lanka with a strong side and with the T20 World Cup victory behind them.

The PCB has given A category central contracts to Yousuf and Razzaq while Nazir, who has been cleared recently to play for the national team again, got a C category central contract.

Nazir was pardoned by the PCB Chairman Ejaz Butt last week for his misconduct during the final of the National Twenty20 Championship in Lahore and he can now be considered for selection for the One-day series in Sri Lanka.

The board has also awarded a C category contract to new left-arm pacer Mohammad Aamer who has impressed since making his debut in the Twenty20 World Cup in England.

Nazir is expected to join Yousuf and Razzaq for the One-day series and the lone Twenty20 international in Sri Lanka later this month with the board Chairman confirming that a new selection committee would be announced by July 21 and would be responsible for picking all national teams.

“With Yousuf and Razzaq back, the tour selectors are not sure what to do because if both Yousuf and Razzaq are selected then the axe will fall on former captain Shoaib Malik,” one source said.

He said there was only one way Malik could retain his place and that was if the tour selection committee decides to persist with wicket-keeper Kamran Akmal as a make-shift opener in the Test series as well or if Malik was chosen to open.

“But (skipper) Younis himself is not very keen to go into the first Test with a make shift opening pair and he wants specialist openers Salman Butt and Khurram Manzoor in the side,” the source said.

He said Yousuf, a veteran of 79 Tests, is certain to make a comeback.

“If Yousuf and Razzaq play then it would be difficult to accommodate Malik while the tour selectors also can’t ignore the continuing good performances of Fawad Alam,” he said.

“There is a consensus to pick Razzaq at number six to have a fifth bowler which would put Malik out of contention because the batting line up would include five specialist batsmen in Butt, Manzoor, Younis, Yousuf and Misbah-ul-Haq.”

The first Test begins in Galle from July 4.

Sources in the Board said PCB Chairman Ejaz Butt had approved the contracts for the two players, who leave with the national team for the Test tour of Sri Lanka on Saturday.

“Both of them have been included in the A category while no final decision has been taken on the two other players who have resigned from the ICL, Imran Nazir and Rana Naved,” one source said.

Razzaq has already represented Pakistan in the Twenty20 World Cup in England where he was sent as a replacement for the injured Yasir Arafat.

Senior batsman Yousuf returns to the team for the Sri Lanka Test series after joining the ICL late last year and subsequently being banned by the Board.

Players in the A category of the central contracts are paid a monthly retainer of 250,000 rupees besides their match and tour fees.

Meanwhile, former Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik has welcomed the return of Yousuf and Razzaq to the national team and said they would strengthen the team on its tour of Sri Lanka.

Razzaq returned to the international fray for Pakistan in the ICC Twenty20 World Championship after two years of suspension, after he and several other players terminated their respective contracts from the rebel Indian Cricket League (ICL).

Razzaq was reportedly approached by three different counties for play for them this summer, but he refused all the offers keeping an eye on the Pakistan team’s forthcoming tour of Sri Lanka .

According to sources, Razzaq approached the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to enquire whether he would be considered for the Sri Lanka tour if he had a brief county stint just ahead of the island nation’s visit.

The PCB reportedly asked him to prepare for the Lanka tour, where Pakistan is scheduled to play three Tests, five One-day Internationals and a Twenty20 International in July-August.