Clock is ticking on Yasir ahead of England tour

PCB hopes leggie will recover from a knee injury within the next 4-5 weeks

KARACHI: Pakistan see Yasir Shah as their trump card ahead of this summer’s tough away series against England.

But the problem is that the leg-spinner is facing a race against time after aggravating his knee injury and could miss the first Test which begins at Lord’s on July 14.

However, Pakistan team officials are hoping that Yasir will be fully fit by the end of next month and will be part of the line-up for the series opener.

In a statement issued to the media on Monday, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced that Yasir should recover from the knee injury within the next four to five weeks.

“Yasir Shah is suffering from tear in the Lateral Meniscus along with small osteochondral defect .He needs conservative management which includes physical therapy and extensive rehabilitation. In our opinion he will recover in 4-5 weeks’ time,” the brief statement said.

Last week, Yasir Shah was ruled out of the ongoing training camp in Abbottabad after aggravating a previous knee injury. It is feared that he might also miss the pre-series conditioning camp in Hampshire ahead of the four-Test series against England.

The leggie, who has taken 76 wickets from 12 Tests, had suffered a meniscus tear in his knee during the ODI series against England in the UAE in November last year. In December, however, Yasir tested positive for a banned substance and was provisionally suspended. During his time away from the game, Yasir missed the New Zealand tour, the Pakistan Super League, the Asia Cup and the World T20, and did not undergo rehabilitation for his knee injury. After his suspension ended on March 27, Yasir participated in a spin-bowling camp at the National Cricket Academy, and his injury flared up again during the Pakistan Cup tournament.

An MRI scan revealed a bone bruise along with ligament stress, and the injury was centred on the meniscus tear in his left knee. An assessment confirmed that Yasir did not need surgery. Weeks before he sustained the knee injury, Yasir had suffered a back spasm, which ruled him out of the first Test against England, but he recovered to play the remaining Tests in the series.

Yasir, 30, is currently third on ICC’s ranking for Test bowlers.

Pakistan are expected to name the squad for the England tour in the first week of June. A group of more than 30 players are undergoing training in Abbottabad, working on their fitness under the supervision of the Pakistan Military Academy. The squad for England will have a camp in Hampshire, followed by two tour matches, against Somerset and Sussex.