Mehmood to miss India series

Pakistan’s leading football striker left disappointed.

KARACHI:

Pakistan’s leading striker Arif Mehmood has been ruled out of the much-awaited football series against India that starts from August 28 in England due to a back injury.

Mehmood, who had been a leading goal-scorer for his club Wapda in the Pakistan Premier Football League (PPFL) last year, was dejected after he picked up the injury during a camp for the World Cup qualifiers.

“I picked up the injury during our camp,” Mehmood told The Express Tribune. “I haven’t played for a month and I’ve been advised to rest for five more weeks.

“It’s a blow because I wanted to play in England, which could’ve provided me with a chance to sign up for a foreign league. I think my injury was worsened as I kept on playing despite the pain, instead of taking a break,” added Mehmood.

Meanwhile, the striker said that the series against India was a very important one for the players as it provided them an opportunity to gain much-needed international exposure. “The team would need to put in a lot of hard work to match the higher-ranked Indian side,” said Mehmood. “Participating in the on-going PPFL is not enough to prepare for such a high-profile series.”

Coach Tariq Lutfi was left ruing Mehmood’s absence from the team, saying that his ouster will affect Pakistan’s chances against India as the squad lacked adequate backup.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 1^st, 2011.