(
www.bcacricket.org
) - Barbados all-rounder and West Indies Twenty20 player Dwayne Smith has been replaced by Yasir Arafat, the Pakistan all-rounder, in the Perth Scorchers squad for the Big Bash League (BBL).
Smith, who had not flown to Australia ahead of Scorchers' opening game on Sunday, is expected to miss the entire tournament due to personal reasons.
Arafat has not played for Pakistan in over a year - he last played in the World Twenty20 in September 2012 - but is something of a travelling Twenty20 specialist. He has played domestic leagues in England, New Zealand, Bangladesh and Scotland, apart from turning out for Khan Research Laboratories in Pakistan. He has played 165 T20s in all, scoring 1025 runs at a strike rate of 119 and 207 wickets with a best of four for five.
Should Smith become available to play during the course of the tournament, the Scorchers can apply to the BBL technical committee to have him reinstated in the squad. Their other overseas signing in an 18-man squad is South African pacer Alfonso Thomas.
The Scorchers began their campaign with a three-wicket loss to the Brisbane Heat in an away game. Next up for them is a home game against the Melbourne Renegades on Boxing Day.
Smith has reportedly been named in the West Indies team for the two-match T20 series against New Zealand in New Zealand on January 11 and 15.
He is also expected to be named in the Barbados squad for the WICB NAGICO Super50 tournament in Trinidad & Tobago from January 30 to February 16.
The BBL started on December 20 and runs until February 15.
