LAHORE, Feb 8: Pakistan’s leading pace bowler Mohammad Asif, recovering from a nagging elbow problem, on Friday said he was likely to play in the last match of the Pentangular Cup to confirm his fitness before the important home series against Australia.

Speaking to Dawn, Asif, who had a surgery conducted on his injured elbow in Australia last year, said that although he had resumed bowling at the National Cricket Academy (NCA), his doctor and trainer have advised him to take more rest before entering the field again.

Asif will be playing for Punjab who face Sindh in the last match of the Pentangular Cup at the National Stadium, Karachi from March 11-14. The match will be one of the three to be telecast by a TV channel.

The Pentangular Cup starts from Sunday which means Asif still has almost one month to rest before return to international cricket.

The forthcoming series against Australia is most important for Asif who has played 11 Tests and 29 One-day Internationals for Pakistan since making his debut against Australia in Jan 2005.

“I wish to give my hundred per cent against the strongest contenders of world cricket and for that I want to regain complete fitness before March,” he said.