Injury, Pakistan Team and the 3rd Test

Pakistan's right-arm medium-fast bowler Iftikhar Anjum is being sent to India in time to strengthen the bowling attack for the third Test at Bangalore. Pakistan cricket board toke the decision after injury of Umar Gul which lined him out of the entire Test series and also the illness to Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Sami that strictly hampered Pakistan's performance in the second Test. Although Pakistan's team management in India had requested for Abdur Rauf, a bowling allrounder, to be sent yet the Pakistan board preferred Anjum as a better alternate regarding his international experience.

Anjum has introverted Test performance against his name, will join replacement of Sohail Tanvir who has played two Tests. Yasir Arafat was sent to Gul's replacement that is yet to make his Test debut in the bowling line-up along with Shoaib and Sami.

"A lot of effort was made to ensure that Yasir [Arafat] reached Kolkata in time [for the second Test] and he did but still wasn't included in the playing line-up," Naghmi said. "Now we don't know for sure whether Rauf will be needed for the Bangalore Test which is why we have asked the captain to explain to us the reason why he needs him in India."

PCB chief operating officer Shafqat Naghmi was excerpt to the Pakistani media as expressing surprise and disinclination over Shoaib Malik asking for Rauf as cover especially in light of his reasonable performance regarding the of his good bowling this season: 20 wickets in seven matches at an average of over 42.

Naghmi added more, "Many of effort were made to guarantee that if Yasir Arafat might reach Kolkata in time for the second Test then he would needed for the team. He did but still wasn't included in the playing line-up. "Now we don't know surely whether Rauf will be needed for the Bangalore Test which is why we have asked the captain to explain to us the reason why he needs him in India."