Umar Akmal gives Pakistan injury scare

Umar Akmal suffers finger injury during practice; scans reveal no fracture.

PALLEKELE: Pakistan's Umar Akmal, who has been tipped to succeed his calamity-hit brother Kamran as World Cup wicket-keeper, suffered a finger injury in practice.

But team manager Intikhab Alam said scans had revealed no fracture for the middle order batsman. "Umar hurt his index finger in the right hand while practicing on Thursday and we rested him as precaution. His scans were all clear," Alam told AFP.

Pakistan are considering handing the wicket-keeping gloves to 20-year-old Umar, the younger brother of Kamran who fluffed two chances in Pakistan's 110-run defeat against New Zealand on Tuesday.

Umar kept wicket in three Twenty20 matches and in a one-day international last year. Pakistan take on Zimbabwe in their next Group A match on Monday where a win will guarantee a place in the quarter-finals. Pakistan have six points from four matches, while Zimbabwe have two from their four.