Knee injury threatening to derail Rawalpindi Express

Lahore, Feb 26 (UNI) Shoaib Akhtar's career was left hanging in the balance after initial reports on his injury suggested that the pacer might not be able to bowl again due to the degenerative disease in his right knee.

''We are afraid of the worst case scenario because knee injuries generally spell big trouble for professional cricketers, and Initial reports about the injury are not very good,'' a Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) official told The News.

However, the PCB is hopeful that the bowler will recover and promised that no effort will be spared to get him back to full fitness.

''We will get him the best available medical help and try to ensure he is back to full fitness if possible,'' the official said.

''We are keeping our fingers crossed and the PCB Chairman Shaharyar Khan has said no stone should be left unturned to get him the best possible medical treatment, which is why he has been rushed to Australia to consult a specialist,'' he added.

Earlier, the pacer complained of a ''strange'' pain in the knee which after examination turned out to be major cause of concern.

''He told them (The medical panel) he was feeling a strange sort of pain in his left knee. When they took out MRI scans and X-rays they found out it was a degenerative disease of sorts in his affected knee and could have spread to the other knee also.

Shoaib was later sent to Australia to get his knee examined by a specialist there and he might have to undergo surgery to get the disease treated.

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