December 27, 2001	Thursday	Shawwal 11, 1422

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LAHORE, Dec 26: Pakistan opener Saeed Anwar pulled out of next month’s Bangladesh tour after being diagnosed with a stress fracture in his left hand.

The left-hander has been ruled out from competitive cricket for three months which practically ends his hopes of facing the West Indies who are due here on Jan 26 for three Tests and as many one-day internationals.

Pakistan leave for Bangladesh on Jan 2 for two Tests and three one-day internationals.

The fracture was revealed in a bone scan Tuesday. The 33-year-old batsman had suffered the injury during October’s Sharjah Cup. On the basis of MRI tests and advice of a Dubai specialist, Saeed rested for six weeks before resuming his cricket this month. However, the injury aggravated which forced him to undergo bone scan.

The PCB has not named his replacement though a place has become vacant which deserves to go to Shahid Afridi who picked up five wickets in his debut Test and followed up with a match winning century against India at Chennai in 1999.

Shahid, however, has been named as three replacements for the one-day series which follow the two Tests at Dhaka and Chittagong.

Saeed, a reborn Muslim, has recently struggled to maintain top class fitness. Earlier this year, he returned from New Zealand after the one-dayers while he also missed the entire tour to the West Indies last year.

Prior to that, he missed most of his cricket due to undiagnosed stomach disease.