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Karachi, Aug 16 (PTI) Pakistan''s reserve wicket-keeper Zulqarnain Haider has ruled himself out of the third Test against England starting Wednesday at The Oval due to a finger injury but was still hopeful of playing a part in the remainder of the series. Haider said that he would not be playing the third Test on medical advice but insisted he was not out of the tour.
"The physiotherapist examined me today and gave me ten days for the injury to heal. But I will be seeing a specialist on Wednesday after which I will know if I can be available for the fourth Test," he told the Geo super television channel today.
Haider suffered a hairline fracture in the little finger of his right hand in his debut Test at Edgbaston last week, where he scored a fighting 88 in the second innings after the tour selectors decided to drop out-of-form Kamran Akmal from the playing eleven.'' "It is a big disappointment that this injury has come at this time but I don''t want to risk playing with it in the third Test as it could only get worse and I don''t want to be out for a long time from the game," Haider said.
Kamran is certain to make a comeback in the third Test team following Haider''s injury despite question marks over his form. Pakistan is also expected to make three other changes in their playing eleven with pace bowlers, Tanvir Ahmed or Wahab Riaz set to make their Test debut at The Oval in place of Umar Gul, who has been ruled out of the series due to an hamstring injury.
Sources have confirmed that former captain Mohammad Yousuf and Yasir Hameed will also be included in the third Test team. "Yousuf will replace Umar Amin while Yasir will come in place of either Shoaib Malik or Imran Farhat," one source in the team said.
He said if Farhat was dropped then the tour selectors would open the innings with Salman Butt and Azhar Ali, who has batted at the number three spot in all four matches he has played in England so far. "Yousuf is certain to replace Umar Amin who has not impressed despite being given a long run in the Asia Cup and in four successive Tests against Australia and England," the source said.
In contrast, the buoyant England side have named an unchanged eleven for the third Test, which they need to win to wrap up the series.
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