Asif advised to put county contract on hold

Pakistan fast bowler Mohammad Asif, who is missing out on the tour of India due to his elbow injury, has been advised by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to keep on hold his contract with English county Surrey until his fitness position becomes clear.

Asif remains uncertain for the Indian tour although the Board has said he has pulled out of the one-day series and is undergoing a rehabilitation programme for his elbow problem which requires rest and exercises and cannot be treated by medication.

Asif, who also missed four of the five one-day internationals against South Africa last month at home due to the same injury, has been offered a two-year contract by Surrey for 2008 and 2009.

The PCB's chief operating officer Shafqat Naghmi said that given the increasing number of fitness problems, with the fast bowlers in particular, they would review in detail the policy of allowing players to sign contracts with English counties for the summer.

"It is true that Pakistan has no commitments between late May and mid-September for next year but we will still have a rethink on our policy of giving permission to our players to go and play for counties," he said. Naghmi also said their policy would be based on the fact that bowlers risk a burnout because of excessive cricket. "Otherwise we should have no objections," he added.