Asif will not play the fourth Test

Mohammad Asif, the Pakistan fast bowler, will not play the fourth Test against England starting on August 17 at The Oval. However, he will be available for the five one-day internationals that begin on August 30.

Asif, who had fully recovered from his elbow injury last week, was scheduled to join the team along with Mohammad Hafeez, the offbreak bowler. But Shoaib Akhtar's inclusion in the Test squad seems to have influenced the decision to hold Asif back. "The tour selection committee comprising coach Bob Woolmer, captain Inzamam-ul-Haq and manager Zaheer Abbas informed the PCB on Tuesday that they now require Asif just for the ODIs," Saleem Altaf, PCB's director of cricket operations, told Dawn. "Akhtar has now been inducted into the squad while other fast bowlers Shahid Nazir and Umar Gul have been bowling well."

Hafeez is still scheduled to play at The Oval and has already left for England. Pakistan lost the third Test by 167 runs and have thus lost the series 2-0 ahead of the final Test.