Kaneria ruled out for six weeks

Danish Kaneria, the Pakistan legspinner, will be out of action for six weeks after undergoing a finger surgery. Kaneria, contracted to Essex, will miss their remaining matches of the season.

Kaneria fractured his finger in Essex's County Championship game against Worcestershire on August 22, and flew back home for the operation, which took place on Wednesday.

"There was a fracture in my right hand ring finger which I sustained while taking a caught-and-bowled chance," he told Reuters. "I have had the surgery to set it right," he said. "Hopefully I should be bowling again after six weeks."

Kaneria was disappointed to be missing out, with him unlikely to play for Pakistan this year. A regular in the Test team, Kaneria had taken 220 wickets in 51 Tests, but has only featured in 18 ODIs, the last of which came in the 2007 World Cup in the West Indies. "Already Pakistan is not playing a Test series this year and we are short of cricket," he said. "The injury has really come at a bad time."

Pakistan haven't played a Test this year, after Australia postponed their visit citing security concerns. In July, Kaneria had dismissed rumours that he was switching allegiance to England. He had been reprimanded by the PCB in April for criticising them after he was demoted to category C among Pakistan's centrally-contracted players.

Kaneria had not been included in Pakistan's preliminary squad of 30 for the Champions Trophy, which has been deferred to 2009.