Shoaib and Asif to miss the World Cup

Pakistan's pace bowlers Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif will not be playing in the World Cup due to injury, a senior cricket board official said on Thursday. Shoaib has not recovered from the knee injury that forced him to be sent back from South Africa last month and Asif has been carrying a niggling elbow problem since the South African tour and the pair were receiving treatment in London. 

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief selector Wasim Bari told reporters that, "The doctors have said they require at least another three weeks to make a complete recovery from their injuries. We couldn't wait for that long," Yasir Arafat and Mohammad Sami will be sent as their replacements. 

Sources within the board said the decision to drop the players on the eve of the team's departure might have come as a result of an unusually strong statement about doping issued by the International Cricket Council on Thursday. After testing positive for nandrolone last October, 31-year-old Shoaib was banned for two years and Asif for one year by a drugs inquiry tribunal till an appeal panel cleared them to play again. But PCB chairman Nasim Ashraf insisted the bowlers were out because of injuries.

"Certainly it is not an ideal situation for us. Losing three experienced players is a big disappointment," said captain Inzamam-ul-Haq. "But we just have to manage with the players we have and they are capable of doing well."