Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik, who missed the drawn second Test in Kolkata, has been ruled out of the third and final match of the series against India, beginning in Bangalore on Saturday, too.
Malik suffered an ankle sprain while playing football shortly after Pakistan lost the first Test, at the Ferozeshah Kotla in New Delhi, and has been out of action since then.
He has been advised rest for five more days, which means stand-in captain Younis Khan will again lead Pakistan at the M Chinnaswamy stadium on Saturday.
Pakistan Media Manager Ehsan Malik said Malik was evaluated by a local orthopaedic doctor, who advised to keep the ankle in cast for five more days.
"Malik was sent to a local orthopaedic surgeon for evaluation of his injury. He cut the plaster and found that there was still pain and tenderness in the region. There was also limitation of movement. So the surgeon has advised him another five days of plaster," Ehsan Malik said.
"His ankle has been plastered again," he said, adding that "it was a grade-1 ankle sprain with a couple of ligament rupture. At that time, it felt it would heal in a week but it is taking longer."
The media manager said other members of the team, including fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar who bowled in the second Test despite fever and chest infection, are "absolutely fine".
"Everybody else is fine and healthy. Akhtar is fully fit now," he added.
