Zulqarnain Haider has been ruled out of the remainder of the Test series against England with a fractured finger. The blow was originally sustained in training before the second Test against Australia and was then aggravated when Stuart Broad hurled the ball at him in his follow through at Edgbaston last week.
The throw from the bowler Broad, which was unnecessary as Haider was not taking off for a run, struck the batsman and lost Broad 50% of his match fee. But it has proved even more costly for Haider, who was otherwise a certainty to retain his place for the Oval Test starting this Wednesday, after he scored 88 in the second innings at Edgbaston.
On the eve of the two-day tour game in Worcester, Haider complained of pain and X-rays revealed there was a minor fracture. "We are preparing to send him back in a few days," Shafqat Rana, Pakistan's associate manager on the tour told Cricinfo.
However, Imran Farhat attempted to play down any bad blood between the sides over the Broad incident. "I am not sure what happened, he [Haider] had a problem with it. But he is still with us and is doing practice sessions and wearing the keeping gloves," Farhat said.
"He hit on the same finger and the pain was getting worse. When he got swelling he went for an x-ray and it was a hairline fracture. We are not sure if it was because of Stuart Broad, I am not blaming him."
Haider attended the team's training at The Oval on Monday but did not participate in any drills. His injury means that for the second time this year Kamran Akmal will return to the Test side just one match after being axed, having been dropped for the Hobart Test against Australia and reinstated for Pakistan's next Test, at Lord's in July.
Akmal dropped several chances in the first Test against England and seemed certain to be facing an extended period out of the side after Haider's success on debut. With Pakistan no requesting a replacement player his return is confirmed.
