KARACHI: Pakistan’s Test batsman Haris Sohail has suffered a shoulder injury in Sri Lanka and could be recalled home.

Chief selector Haroon Rasheed, however, told the Press Trust of India that the team management has not yet decided to send Sohail back to Pakistan.

“He suffered a nasty fall on his shoulder during practice but the management is currently having him examined by the best doctors and will decide soon whether he will remain with the team or return home,” the former Test batsman said on Tuesday.

Sohail, a southpaw, has been a consistent performer in Tests and One-day Internationals since last year but didn’t get a chance to play in the first Test against Sri Lanka, which Pakistan won comfortably last week at Galle.

Sources in the Pakistan Cricket Board said that doctors have advised Sohail at least two weeks of rest to recover from the injury but the selectors are yet to decide whether to call him back or retain him for the ODI series in Sri Lanka.

The chief selector admitted that after Bangladesh’s win over India in the ongoing ODI series, Pakistan’s task to qualify for the 2017 Champions Trophy has become challenging.

The top eight teams in the ICC rankings will automatically qualify for the Champions Trophy.

“After the Test series is over, we need to just focus on winning the five-match ODI series against Sri Lanka if we want to improve our one-day rankings,” he noted.

Pakistan are currently placed at number nine in the ICC ODI rankings and the cut off date for finalising the eight teams for the Champions Trophy is September 31, 2015.

Haroon, meanwhile, said Bangladesh’s win over India in the ongoing ODI-series had not come as a surprise, as the Tigers had shown remarkable improvement in the limited over series against Pakistan also.

“Their experienced players have gained a lot in confidence and have got the winning mentality while they are getting some exciting young players, who have boosted their ODI cricket,” he said.

Handling Herath key for us: Misbah

COLOMBO: Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq has said that playing Sri Lanka’s spin spearhead Rangana Herath sensibly is the key factor for them in the second Test starting on Thursday.

“Playing Herath confidently was the key for us,” Misbah said on Tuesday following Pakistan’s 10-wicket win in the first Test in Galle last week.

“It’s a good sign for us because he is a very good bowler and could have done a lot more.

“We need to keep this going to win the series because he is a tough competitor capable of doing anything.”

Pakistan spinners claimed 13 wickets, compared to five for Sri Lanka’s, and home captain Angelo Mathews conceded that cost his side dearly.

“I admit that our spinners were not as effective as their spinners, even though the pitch was turning from day one,” said Mathews.

“Hopefully, Rangana (Herath) will bounce back quickly,” he added.

Published in Dawn, June 24th, 2015

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