Saeed Anwar out of Bangladesh tour

Pakistan's prolific opening batsman Saeed Anwar has been ruled out of a tour of Bangladesh starting next week after suffering a wrist injury.

"He has been advised (to take) two to three months rest by doctors who have diagnosed a stress fracture in his wrist," Pakistan cricket board spokesman Khalid Butt said from Lahore.

Anwar suffered the injury in a tournament in Sharjah in November. Doctors in Abu Dhabi put his injured wrist in plaster but during a training camp in Lahore for the Bangladesh tour he again complained of wrist problems.

"It is bitterly disappointing to suffer this injury at this stage, with a lot of cricket coming up," Anwar told Reuters.

He will not only miss the Bangladesh tour, where Pakistan are due to play two Tests and three one-dayers from January 3, but probably also the home series against the West Indies in February and March.

"It is just one of those things, nothing can be done about it. I just hope I can make a comeback quickly," said Anwar.

Anwar, 33, has scored 4,052 runs in 55 Tests and 8,348 runs in 230 one-day internationals. His last Test appearance against Bangladesh in August saw him notch a run-a-ball century.

Anwar has been plagued by health problems. A knee injury kept him out of the team for nearly six months last year.

He also suffered from a mysterious stomach bug which forced him to return home early from a New Zealand tour this year.

Also read:
- Interview with Saeed Anwar
- This is the best innings I have ever played: Saeed Anwar

Mail Cricket Editor