Daily Times

LAHORE: Injuries forced former Pakistan captains Mohammad Hafeez and Shahid Afridi to pull out from the team’s fitness camp at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) here from Sunday to Thursday. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), through this camp, had decided to test the fitness of all central contracted cricketers ahead of the boot camp at the Pakistan Military Academy (PMA) in Kakul which starts May 14. “I have told

@TheRealPCB that I won’t be available for fitness test due to knee niggle,” tweeted Afridi. The star all-rounder said he was eyeing his stint with English County side Hampshire and wanted to be fit before joining them for the upcoming domestic T20 event. “I want to regain fitness for Hampshire T20 stint. Will undergo fitness test as soon as I’m available for selection,” Afridi added.

Pakistan’s new selectors Monday dropped star players Shahid Afridi, Ahmed Shehzad and Umar Akmal from next month’s tour of England. Former Afghanistan coach Inzamamul Haq, who is heading up the newly formed selection committee as part of wholesale changes following last month’s tournament humiliation, announced 35 players would attend boot camp starting in Kakul from May 14 to June 4. He said Afridi – who announced he would continue playing the Twenty20 format after resigning as captain in the wake of the event – needed to perform in domestic matches.

Opener Mohammad Hafeez also declared unavailability for the NCA camp while Test skipper Misbahul Haq will be absent too as he returned from pilgrimage on Sunday. “I have injuries in the knee muscle and it’s very early to predict the recovery time,” Hafeez told Dawn. “It’s been six weeks now since I am carrying this injury and I am working hard towards recovery,” he added. The right-hander said he will try to make himself available for the Kakul boot camp and eventually for the England tour too. Pakistan are scheduled to play four Tests, five ODIs and a one-off Twenty20 international when they tour England later this summer. The first Test kicks off July 16.