Pakistan opener Yasir Hameed is unlikely to play the first cricket Test against India, beginning January 13, after taking ill with typhoid. His absence will have the home side grappling with only few options for the job.
"He has been diagnosed as suffering from severe typhoid and I am not sure if he would be able to recover in time for the first Test. We have spoken to him and he is still under treatment in Peshawar," Pakistan skipper Inzamam-ul Haq said.
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Inzamam said Yasir, who is a regular opener, was in the scheme of the team management to open with Salman Butt but now it would have to consider other options.
"But now we have to think about the other options available to us," Inzamam was quoted as saying by The News.
The 27-year-old Yasir played 17 Tests and 48 One-day Internationals and scored a half-century in his last appearance for Pakistan against England in the final one-dayer in Rawalpindi last month.
Inzamam has already ruled out the chances of uncapped Peshawar opener Rafatullah Mohmmad or wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal being asked to open.
But speculation were rife that all-rounder Shaoib Mailk would be entrusted with the job one again as he scored three half centuries against England in the recent series.
"He is still too raw and would not be the right choice for such a high pressure game," Inzamam said about Rafatullal.
On the choice of Kamran, the veteran of 105 Tests and 351 one-dayers, he said, "I don't think it would be fair on him because he is our wicket-keeper and it would be asking too much of him to keep and then go and face the new ball. As it is, his batting is very useful down the order."
"Their choices are limited and eventually Malik might again be given this responsibility as things stand," said a team source.
Another option available is hard-hitting Shahid Afridi, who prefers to bat lower down the order and has got good scores at this spot in the last four Tests played by Pakistan.
Besides, the national selectors are said to be pushing for the inclusion of opener Imran Farhat in the team if Yasir is not available, something they might find difficult to do before the team announcement despite the discarded left-hander's good form at the domestic level.
The selectors are expected to announce a squad of 14 for the first Test later today.