Akhtar to seek treatment in Australia

Shoaib Akhtar will fly to Australia next week to see a specialist after being diagnosed with a degenerative disease in his left knee. Akhtar, who pulled out of the recently concluded five-match ODI series against India on fitness grounds, will consult Dr David Young, an Australian surgeon.

Akhtar has already been ruled out of Pakistan's tour of Sri Lanka next month and is hopeful of being passed fit for the tour of England beginning in July.

Speaking to AFP, Akhtar said, "I am going to Australia next week to have a specialist's opinion on the two injured knees and if they advise an operation then I will go through it and hopefully get fit for the England tour."

Though the Pakistan Cricket Board's (PCB) medical panel diagnosed the degenerative disease in his left knee, Akhtar said his right knee has also caused him trouble for a long time. He said, "Both my knees were causing problems but I played on despite these injuries, just for the sake of my team". Akhtar performed credibly against England, taking 17 wickets in the three-Tests at home, after questions were raised about his commitment to the game.

Salim Altaf, the PCB's director-operations, said it was too early to comment on the extent of the injury. He said, "Shoaib bowled in pain in the Test matches on generally flat pitches, which aggravated his ankle and knee injuries. Initially we thought it was a cartilage problem but the MRI scans revealed it's a bit more serious. We'll only find out once he sees the surgeon."