Saeed pulls out of Sharjah tour

Karachi, March 14: Former captain Saeed Anwar on Tuesday pulled out of the tour of Sharjah because of knee injury, sprained neck and a badly bruised nose.

The charismatic opener said from Lahore that he was more concerned about the knee injury than the sprained neck. "The neck will be fine in a week but it is the knee which needs three to four weeks to get in shape," he said.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said on Tuesday that although Saeed has pulled out of the triangular series starting from March 22, the 15-man team from the list of 18 probables will be announced on Thursday.

"The MRI reports have diagnosed miniscus (complication inside the right knee cap) and I have been advised orthoscopy for three weeks. "I am withdrawing from the Sharjah trip but will definitely go to the West Indies for a three-nation one-day series and Tests," Saeed said.

He said the knee injury had been bothering him since the 1999 World Cup, adding that since there was no free time he couldn't get it treated. "I was getting out in 30s and 40s because the pain used to get unbearable. A time came when the painkillers didn't give me any relief."

Saeed said he was contemplating relinquishing captaincy after the Peshawar Test. He added that once he got the reports of MRI, he made up his mind to quit. "After the Peshawar Test, I was convinced that the team needs me more as a batsman than a captain. Therefore, the decision to step down became very easy. The board officials inquired about my health and I didn't hide anything because I knew they would appoint Moin Khan as captain who I believe is the best man." The left-hander said the team has now got a professional coach in Javed Miandad and he would now concentrate on his performance than guiding or coaching the youngsters.