Inzamam certain to play Melbourne Test

Inzamam-ul-Haq, who was earlier reckoned to be a doubtful starter for the Boxing Day match at Melbourne, is now certain to play after tests in Perth revealed the cause of his back pain. With Shoaib Akhtar's shoulder responding well to treatment, Pakistan are almost certain to name a full-strength side on December 26.

Inzamam had been struggling with a back injury which had kept him off the field for long periods during the Perth Test. Worse still, doctors had been unable to diagnose the reason for the problem despite several tests. However, Bob Woolmer, Pakistan's coach, announced that the injury was finally identified as a problem with the sacroiliac joint in the lower back, and that it wasn't serious enough to keep him away from the action on Sunday.

"It's more related to posture - if you notice how he bats, he bats very hunched over," Woolmer said, according to an AAP report. "It's probably something he's gradually picked up over the years - the management is pool work, gym work, specialised exercises. It's one of those horrible things that can flare up at any time and we have to try and manage it now. All it does is makes him stiff and sore.

"We've got to manage it better than we have done - we weren't sure what it was for a long time, we're very happy we've found out," he said. "To be fair, he's done a few [exercises], but he's been worried about his back, so it's been a sort of catch-22 situation. Now we know it's going to be helped by certain types of exercises, I think he'll get stuck into it."

Shoaib had suffered two injuries during the Perth Test - he hurt his shoulder while fielding and bruised his ankle when some strapping tore off the skin - but Woolmer confirmed that both injuries were only minor concerns: "His shoulder seems fine and he did all the exercises today. The skin tear is [also] fine." Responding to the controversy regarding Shoaib's long run-up, Woolmer indicated that there's be no immediate changes: "It's an ongoing discussion - this is not the tour to change it, to change anything really," he said. "If there's any change it will have to be done after."