Australian all-rounder Shane Watson's preparation for the World T20 hit a hurdle on Sunday as he will sit out the remainder of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) with an abdominal injury.
The 34-year-old took to Twitter to express his disappointment. The World T20 begins on March 8 in India.
He also posted a video from the club's account: "I've unfortunately made this video because I injured myself last night bowling, so disappointingly I'm going to have to head home back to Australia to get assessed with the medical people at Cricket Australia to try and get right for the Twenty20 World Cup."
"Thanks very much to my franchise, Islamabad, I've had a hell of a lot of fun getting to know all the local players and playing in the PSL, which is a great tournament."
Watson's loss comes as a blow to the Islamabad franchisee as he was their leading run-scorer with 194 runs at an average of 32.33.
"Fingers crossed everything works out and I'll be able to play for Islamabad next year and a few more years after that as well," he posted.
"Thanks so much for all your support, I've had a great time. We've got a lot of world-class players in our squad so I'm sure we'll finish the tournament off strongly, and I'm looking forward to seeing you all next year."
