November 02, 2007	Friday	Shawwal 20, 1428

LAHORE, Nov 1: Pakistan received a major setback on Thursday as their squad left for the major tour of India when pace spearhead Mohammad Asif was left behind due to a nagging elbow injury.

“Asif has a chronic pain in his right elbow and the doctor has advised him rest. Neither an operation nor any medicine can be helpful in the treatment, only rest can be a remedy, therefore Asif will not go to India for a tentative period,” PCB Chief Operating Officer (COO) Shafqat Naghmi told a press conference, an hour before the 15-member Pakistan team were to leave for India to play five ODIs and three Test matches there.

“Presently, we are not announcing any replacement of Asif as he may join the team later during the tour,” Naghmi said.

Asif’s elbow injury has been haunting the bowler for the last 18 months.

However, instead of taking proper rest, he had been bowling in patches at international games, not getting enough time to overcome the injury once and for all.

His elbow trouble resurfaced after playing the fourth ODI against South Africa recently in Multan after missing the first three ODIs.

He was rested for the first three ODIs after he felt the pain during the second Test against the Proteas in Lahore, where he, with Umar Gul, had to hold the fast bowling department. Asif bowled 34 overs in the first innings but after bowling just four in the second, he left the ground in pain.

There are reports that coach Geoff Lawson and trainer David Dwyer, on the wishes of Asif, cleared him for the fourth one-dayer.

Asked if the decision of allowing Asif to play in the Multan ODI had put an unfavourable impact on the team’s premier seamer, Naghmi said in such injury problems only the player could best describe the situation himself.

The PCB official dispelled the impression that Asif’s absence had shattered the combination of the team.

“We still have four fast bowlers and if we need a replacement it can be sent at any time,” he said.

The elbow injury problem has been haunting Asif for the last 18 months, as he first experienced it during the 2006 English county cricket. Soon afterwards, Pakistan toured England but Asif missed the first three Tests due to the same injury.

Later, he could hardly complete the tour of South Africa ended in January this year and rushed to London for the treatment, but he had to miss the World Cup too.

Naghmi revealed that Dwyer had prepared a rehabilitation programme for Asif and if it worked, he added, the bowler could join the team in India after three ODIs.

Asked in the presence of highly-paid trainer, physio and doctor, how a key player (like Asif) became unfit for such a crucial tour, Naghmi had no reply other than saying that Asif’s injury was an old one which could surface any time.

Without Asif the bulk of the responsibility in India will be on Shoaib Akhtar, who has made an impressive comeback after 10 months lay-off from international cricket due to different reasons, taking four wickets in the fifth ODI against South Africa.

Umar, Rao Iftikhar – top wicket-taker in the series against South Africa – and upcoming Sohail Tanvir are the other three fast bowlers in the team that landed in New Delhi on Thursday.