The Hindu : Sport / Cricket : Akhtar doubtful for second Test

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Oct 28, 2004

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Sport - Cricket

Akhtar doubtful for second Test

KARACHI, OCT. 27. Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar is in doubt for Thursday's second Test against Sri Lanka after complaining of pain in his shoulder.

``He has pain in his shoulder and is not 100 per cent fit,'' captain Inzamam-ul-Haq told reporters on Wednesday.

Akhtar went to hospital for further scans on the injury, but Inzamam said that he might have to play the fast bowler regardless.

``We will assess his injury later in the evening and see whether it is possible to play him with some painkilling injections,'' Inzamam said.

Akhtar's injury is a big blow to Pakistan, which is trailing 1-0 in the series after losing the first Test by 201 runs at Faisalabad last Sunday.

Akhtar's new ball partner Muhammad Sami was ruled out of the second Test after pulling a groin muscle in Faisalabad. Pakistan's two other first choice fast bowlers Shabbir Ahmed (knee operation) and Umar Gul (stress fracture of the back) are already nursing injuries and have been out of international cricket for several months.

Uncapped medium fast bowlers Rana Naved-ul-Hasan and Riaz Afridi make their way into the Pakistan 14-man squad and if Akhtar is ruled out, Inzamam says either one of them may make their Test debut.

The teams:

Pakistan (from): Inzamam-ul-Haq (captain), Yousuf Youhana, Yasir Hameed, Imran Farhat, Asim Kamal, Younis Khan, Shoaib Malik, Abdul Razzaq, Kamran Akmal, Shoaib Akhtar, Danish Kaneria, Rana Naved-ul-Hasan, Riaz Afridi, Zulqarnain Haider.

Sri Lanka (from): Marvan Atapattu (captain), Mahela Jayawardene, Sanath Jayasuriya, Kumar Sangakkara, Romesh Kaluwitharana, Thilan Samaraweera, Jehan Mubarak, Ian Daniel, Chaminda Vaas, Upul Chandana, Farveez Maharoof, Dilhara Fernando, Thilina Kandamby, Rangana Herath and Lasith Malinga.

Umpires: Steve Bucknor (West Indies) and Billy Bowden (New Zealand); TV umpire: Asad Rauf (Pakistan). Match referee: Jeff Crowe (New Zealand). — AP

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