Hafeez hoping to play in second ODI

KARACHI: Mohammad Hafeez could win his race against time and be fully fit for Pakistan’s second One-day International against England at Southampton later this week, a team official told ‘The News’ on Monday.

Hafeez, 38, is currently recovering from a hand injury he sustained in the Pakistan Super League in the UAE. He missed Pakistan’s warm-up matches and was also unable to take the field in Sunday’s one-off twenty20 International against England.

He travelled with the Pakistan team to London on Monday morning. Pakistan will take on England in the opening game of the five-match ODI series at The Oval on May 8.

A team official told ‘The News’ that Hafeez will attend a series of training sessions in the coming days in London in a bid to attain full match fitness ahead of the second ODI in Southampton.

“He (Hafeez) is one of our key players and the idea is to have him play maximum possible matches before the World Cup begins,” the official said. Hafeez is part of Pakistan’s World Cup squad despite his suspect fitness. Pakistan will take on the West Indies in their opening World Cup game in Nottingham on May 31.