Pakistan board concerned over recurring player injuries

Dr Nasim Ashraf, the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has taken serious note of the players' fitness problems during the ongoing tour of South Africa and has asked for an inquiry to deal with the matter.

"The PCB chief is surprised the way players got unfit and he wants to know the reasons why they suffered major injury problems. We believe an inquiry into the matter will serve the purpose," said Saleem Altaf, the PCB director of operations, at a news briefing in Lahore.

Fast bowlers Shoaib Akhtar, Umar Gul, Shabbir Ahmed and allrounder Shoaib Malik had to fly back owing to injuries and fitness problems. Altaf said Ashraf had directed that strict measures should be taken to avoid such a situation in the World Cup which starts next month.

After losing the Test series 1-2, Pakistan suffered heavy defeats in the Twenty20 international - losing by 10 wickets - followed by a 164-run defeat in the first ODI at Centurion.

Altaf added that all the World Cup probables will undergo doping tests on February 16, after the team's arrival from South Africa. Pakistan will undergo a six-day training camp at Lahore from March 1 before leaving for the World Cup in the West Indies.