Injured Umar Gul doubtful for Asia Cup

Umar Gul is unlikely to be part of Pakistan's Asia Cup campaign in Sri Lanka as a result of a lingering shoulder injury. He should, however, be fit in time for the tour to England later this summer. Gul injured his right shoulder when he fell awkwardly during a training camp for the World Twenty20 and subsequently missed the tournament.

Though the shoulder has gotten better, doctors have advised him not to risk it so soon and instead aim to be back for the longer, arguably more important England tour later, where Pakistan meet Australia as well. "I had an MRI done on it a few days back and compared to the first one I had immediately after the injury, the shoulder has 80-90% healed," Gul told Cricinfo.

"But the doctor has advised me not to take a chance at the Asia Cup because I might aggravate a healing injury," he said. "I have been resting completely since the injury and haven't bowled, so getting match fit and then bowling will take some time to get back to my full sharpness."

The Asia Cup is due to begin from June 15 in Dambulla. The PCB have announced a list of 35 probables for the two assignments of the summer in which Gul's name has been included. A short training camp will be held in Karachi in the first week of June after which a 15-man squad will be announced for the Asia Cup. Gul might still be a part of the training camp so he can start working with the team trainer David Dwyer and the team's physiotherapist again.

"I am trying to find out whether it is ok for me to attend the camp because I can at least start training with David and other members of the fitness team," Gul said.

Though his form has dipped in the last year, Gul remains a key part of Pakistan's pace attack in all three formats of the game. He remains at his most lethal in the shorter forms of the game, but it was his comeback on the England tour in 2006 that sparked the most productive phase of his Test career. And in a summer where Pakistan will be heavily reliant on their pace attack, Gul's presence and experience will be vital alongside Mohammad Aamer and Mohammad Asif.

Shahid Afridi, Pakistan's new Test captain, knows how important it is for Gul to be right in time for a tour which takes in six Tests, five ODIs and four T20Is. "Gul is one of our key players and we want him to get fit as soon as possible," Afridi told the News. "It's unfortunate that he is unlikely to play in the Asia Cup but I'm sure that he will be fully fit for the tour of England. I've told him that he should take his time to recover from the injury because we want him to be fully fit for the matches against Australia and England."

The England tour begins on June 28.