Pakistan cricket chiefs are confident fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar will soon be on his way to England after he failed to leave with the rest of the touring team on Wednesday.
“We have not got to a stage where we start thinking he will miss the tour to England. We are still confident he will leave very soon,” Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) director Munawwar Rana told mediamen from Lahore on Thursday.
Akhtar, dubbed the “Rawalpindi Express,” failed to board the London-bound flight on Wednesday because of a stomach upset and dehydration.
He is set to miss the tour opener against British Universities starting at Trent Bridge, Nottingham, on Friday.
The first Test of the two-match series against England begins at Lord’s on May 17. “Some tests were carried out on Thursday.
But until the reports come, it is premature to speculate,” Rana said. He said the PCB would not be sending any reinforcements even if Akhtar failed to pass fitness and medical tests.
Rana clarified that Akhtar had been held back because of PCB policy on medical clearance on every player.
“All the players currently in England passed fitness and medical tests. But he (Shoaib Akhtar) didn’t because he has been down with a stomach disorder ever since returning from Australia in the second week of last month,” he said.
Akhtar’s last competitive match was on February 28 in a one-day international against New Zealand in Dunedin where he hobbled off the ground with a hamstring injury.
Akhtar has failed to complete his previous two tours, to the West Indies and New Zealand, while his last first-class match was in March 2000 in the third and final Test against Sri Lanka.