All recovered: Hafeez declared fit for Test series

All-rounder will be especially useful as an extra spinner

KARACHI: All-rounder Muhammad Hafeez has been declared fit to play in the upcoming Test series against Australia after going through batting, bowling and fielding sessions for the past three days at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) and Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.

After the batting session yesterday, Dr Sohail Saleem – who is the General Manager Sports Medicine of Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) – declared Hafeez ‘ready to play’ with one proviso; while bowling and fielding, Hafeez has been advised to wear a support for the next few days.

Hafeez suffered a deep laceration to the base of his left thumb while fielding during a warm-up 50-over match at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on October 3, damaging the webbing between the left thumb and the index finger. The wound required five stitches and Hafeez was sent back from the UAE to the NCA for recovery, forcing him to sit out the ODI series that Pakistan lost 3-0.

“I have examined Hafeez while batting at the nets today,” read the board’s medical report, written by Saleem. “He batted about half an hour without support and showed no signs of discomfort. For the previous two days, he had been batting with the help of a support.

“On examination after batting, his wound was completely dry and the edges of the wound have closed without any sign of inflammation. The strength of the muscles around the thumb also seem to be fully restored. In my opinion, he is ready to play. It is, however, advised that he should use some form of support while bowling and fielding for the next few days.”

In the absence of suspended Saeed Ajmal, and with Abdur Rehman also not included in the preliminary Test squad, the team management will be extra keen to have Hafeez back in the side as one of the senior members of a relatively inexperienced bowling attack. However, Hafeez has an indifferent record as a bowler in Tests, claiming only 35 wickets in the 36 Tests he has played so far.

Hafeez, who retained his position as the world’s best ODI all-rounder, was particularly missed in the one-day series against Australia as Pakistan’s brittle batting line-up was brutally exposed by the Australians. Pakistan will be hoping that Hafeez’s experience will help provide some much needed stability at the top of the order.
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