Pakistan leg spinner Yasir Shah needs four to five weeks to recover from a knee injury, officials said on Monday, putting him on track for the team’s summer tour of England.
The 30-year-old, who is ranked third in Tests, was forced out of a boot camp in the city of Abbottabad after experiencing pain in his left knee.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said in a statement a scan had revealed a minor injury.
“Shah is suffering from tear in the lateral meniscus along with small osteochondral defect. He needs conservative management which includes physical therapy and extensive rehabilitation. In our opinion he will recover in four to five weeks time,” it said.
Shah has been Pakistan’s leading bowler in Tests in recent times and his participation is seen as key for the team’s chances in the four-Test series in England from July 14.
He has so far taken 76 wickets in 12 Tests and has been taken on the mantle of the country’s main spinner after Saeed Ajmal’s career was derailed following a suspension for chucking.
Shah took 49 wickets in 2015 which helped Pakistan jump to second in the Test rankings. Fifteen of them came in Pakistan’s 2-0 win over England in the three-Test series in the United Arab Emirates.
Earlier this year Shah was suspended following a failed dope test, a punishment which was lifted after he pleaded guilty, saying he took his wife’s blood pressure tablet by mistake.
The International Cricket Council lifted the suspension in March.
