3 posts tagged “pakistan”

Shoaib Malik is to retain the Pakistan captaincy until the end of next year despite the series defeat against India, Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Dr Nasim Ashraf said on Thursday."We will stick to our decision to name him as captain for the year (2008). We will give him our full backing and we feel he can mature into a good captain in time," Ashraf told reporters.The 25-year-old Malik's captaincy and own form have come under the microscope after Pakistan's one-day and test series defeats at home to South Africa and then the disappointing showing in India.Malik led Pakistan in the one-day series in India, which the hosts won 3-2, and the first test in New Delhi which India won by six wickets before going on to complete a 1-0 series triumph.Vice-captain Younis Khan was the captain for the last two tests as Malik was ruled out with an ankle injury.Ashraf said the board had made Malik the captain this year keeping in mind the future of Pakistan cricket."He is young and he will learn from his mistakes. Overall the team's performance in India lacked focus," he said.Ashraf said Pakistan's Australian coach, Geoff Lawson, had been asked to give a detailed report on Pakistan's first test series loss in India since the 1979-80 rubber."The team appeared to lack in mental toughness at times and professionalism. The coach is responsible for this and we will talk to him," Ashraf said.

Pakistani pacer Mohammad Asif has undergone successful keyhole surgery in Australia to fix a chronic elbow problem that forced him to miss the ongoing series in India.A Pakistan cricket Board official said the surgery was carried out by a well known Australian specialist in Sydney on Monday."The initial reports are that it was not a major operation and it has been successful," Shafqat Naghmi, chief operating officer, told Reuters on Tuesday."But Asif could recover up to three months before he resumes playing cricket," he said, adding that a specialist would soon determine how long the full rehabilitation period will be."We fear he would require to rest for three months, which means he is certainly out of next month's home series against Zimbabwe," he said.Naghmi said Asif would also face a race against time to be 100 percent fit for the home series against Australia tentatively scheduled for March 9.The Australians are due to send a delegation to Pakistan in January after general elections to assess the security situation ahead of their tour, which includes three tests, five one-day internationals and a Twenty20 match.Asif has this year had to sit out four one-day games against South Africa and was ruled out of the Indian tour.

Pakistan fast bowler Mohammad Asif needs surgery to cure a chronic elbow problem, an Australian specialist has told the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB)."Asif is likely to remain out of action for two months from the day he has the surgery. He will certainly miss the one-day series against Zimbabwe in January," a PCB source told Reuters on Thursday.The sports injuries specialist in Sydney had recommended surgery after examining Asif and conducting tests over the last two days, board sources said.Asif, who has had to miss the current series in India, was sent to Australia for a third opinion after local specialists disagreed on the treatment needed for the problem.The injury also forced Asif, who has played 11 tests for 51 wickets, to miss three tests in England last year and four one-day internationals against South Africa recently at home.A PCB official said a decision on when the surgery should take place would be made soon. "For the time being he is returning home tonight," the official said.A board source said Asif was likely to have the surgery soon as Pakistan were keen to have him fit for the home series against Australia in March and April.Pakistan have struggled with injury problems affecting their main pace bowlers and recently sent two replacements to India after pacer Umar Gul had to return home with a back problem.