LAHORE, Jan 7: Prolific middle-order batsman Mohammad Yousuf is likely to miss the first Test against South Africa starting Jan 11 due to his wife’s illness back home. Yousuf, ranked as the world’s top batsman for the year 2006, was scheduled to depart for South Africa on Monday but a sudden complication in his wife’s pregnancy has now put it off for an indefinite period.

The Lahore-born batsman arrived back from Saudi Arabia after performing Hajj on Saturday and immediately conveyed to the Pakistan Cricket Board that he will not be able to leave for South Africa on Monday.

A spokesman of the PCB later announced that the final decision on Yousuf's departure would be reached in a couple of days. "Yousuf's wife will undergo surgery on Jan 12 owing to complicated pregnancy. Therefore, he is unable to join the team before the start of the first Test," the spokesman said.