Junaid Khan`s absence from training raises speculation of injury

Karachi: Left-arm pacer Junaid Khan on Thursday caused a scare in the ongoing conditioning camp of the Pakistan World Cup squad in Lahore when he did not train due to a fitness issue.

Although team officials were quick to insist his fitness issue was not a major problem and he would resume training tomorrow but concerns remain over whether the pacer has suffered a recurrence of the knee problem that kept him out of cricket since last September.

Junaid recovered from a knee problem only recently to lead his provincial Khyber Pakhtunkhawa team to the Pentangular Cup title in Karachi taking five wickets in the final.

The pacer had injured himself before the one-day series against Australia in the UAE in September last and was forced to return home for rehabilitation.

"The media has made a big issue of Junaid's absence today from training but it is just a slight niggle and not a knee problem again," a Board official said.

But knowing the fate of experienced pacer Umar Gul who has struggled to reach top fitness level since having knee surgery in Melbourne in May 2013, concerns over Junaid's fitness will remain until he returns to action.

The World Cup-bound players are presently attending a short conditioning/bonding camp in Lahore before flying out to New Zealand on January 20.