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India relieved with Shoaib Akhtar out of tour
Team India Cricket is breathing sigh of relief as Hamstring injury forces Shoaib out of India tour.
Fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar pulled out of Pakistan's upcoming tour of India on Friday saying it would take him at least a month to recover from a hamstring injury. "I am disappointed to say that I have pulled out of the tour of India because my hamstring injury would take another four to five weeks and I don’t want to play half fit," Shoaib said.
His pullout will further weaken a depleted Pakistan bowling attack with two other frontline pacemen, Shabbir Ahmed and Umar Gul, already ruled out of Pakistan's first tour of India in six years. The squad for the tour is expected to be announced on Saturday and it is reliably learnt that the selection panel headed by Wasim Bari has drawn up a tentative list of about "30-32 probables" for a short camp ahead of the tour.
"Players like Misbha-ul-Haq, Shabbir Khan, Adnan Akmal, Arshad Khan and Muhammad Yasir Arafat, who have done well recently, would be considered for India," a source close to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said. Even veteran wicket-keeper Moin Khan, who was dropped in favour of young Kamran Akmal for the Australian tour, is being considered.
"Of course, Moin is being considered as an Indian tour is an intense tour where the experience of the veteran stumper would come in handy," he maintained.
"We have also short listed former captain Waqar Younis as the bowling coach, and we are now waiting for his response," he said. Shoaib denied the decision was linked to a $500 fine handed down by the PCB on Thursday for a disco outing during the recent tour of Australia and three other counts of indiscipline.
"No, I have nothing to say on the penalties, I don’t want to have breakdowns on the tour," said Shoaib, who broke down during the Sydney Test last month and twice in the tri-series before returning home. Shoaib, regarded as one of the fastest bowlers in cricket alongside Australian Brett Lee, said he would still try to play the one-day series scheduled for late March and early April.
"I have informed the PCB of my decision and will inform them as soon as I get fit so if the team needs me at that stage I am available. "I would love to play the one-day series provided the team needs me."
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