Khan will not be seen during the World Cup

Image courtesy of: ESPNcricinfo

Pakistan left-arm pace bowler Junaid Khan will miss the World Cup after failing a fitness test.

Khan, who was withdrawn from the recently concluded ODI series against New Zealand, is still nursing a thigh injury despite having undergone a rigorous rehabilitation programme at the National Cricket Academy in Lahore.

Khan initially sustained a “Grade-3 osteochondral” fracture in his knee last October, which ruled him out of Pakistan’s series against Australia and New Zealand.

However, he managed to recover and make the 15-man World Cup squad. But, his dream of representing Pakistan in the marquee event went up in smoke after he fell while bowling in the nets at the Gaddafi Stadium on January 15. As a result of the fall, Khan reported to Pakistan’s medical staff with pain in his right thigh and elbow.

Since the initial scans showed a Grade-1 injury, Khan was told to rest and avoid travelling. However, instead of heeding the warning, Khan decided to take a long drive to his hometown of Swabi, which is believed to have aggravated his injury.