Asif could face three-month rehabilitation

Mohammad Asif's rehabilitation from elbow injury could rule him out for another three months, which means he may face a race against time to be ready for the home series against Australia in March.

Asif missed four ODIs out of five against South Africa in October and also the entire tour to India because of his right elbow. The problem is a long-standing one, having forced him to miss three Tests last year against England as well.

He has just undergone successful keyhole surgery on the elbow in Sydney, Australia. The surgery was carried out by a prominent specialist on Monday.

"The initial reports are that it was not a major operation and it has been successful,"

Shafqat Naghmi, Chief Operating Officer of the PCB, told Reuters.

"But Asif's recovery could take up to three months before he resumes playing,"

Naghmi said. A specialist will soon determine how long the full rehabilitation period will be.

"We fear he would require a three-month rest, which means he is certainly out of next month's home series against Zimbabwe,"

he stated.

Naghmi also said that Asif might then face a race against time to be completely fit for the home series against Australia, tentatively scheduled to begin from March 9.

Muhammad Asif likely to be out for two more months

KARACHI: Pakistan pacer Mohammad Asif is expected to be out of cricket action for two more months after surgeons in Australia recommended that he needs to have surgery for his elbow problem.

PCB sent Asif last week to Sydney to consult a sports medicine specialist after the pacer failed to recover from an elbow strain and feature in the Indian tour last month.

“We have got a detailed report from the surgeon in Sydney and he has recommended surgery for which he has been given a go-ahead,”

a PCB official said.

Asif will have the corrective surgery on Monday after which the Board reckons he could be out of cricket for two months as part of his rehabilitation process.

“But the proper position would only be known after his initial check-up soon after the surgery. But the surgeon believes two months are required for the healing process to be completed,”

the official added. Asif missed out on the ongoing Indian tour because of the elbow injury and in November also sat out from four One-day Internationals against South Africa in the home series.