Giant Pakistan quick Mohammad Irfan out after scans reveal stress fracture in his pelvis
Pakistan's Irfan ruled out of Australia clash
Pakistan's hopes of toppling Australia in Friday's World Cup quarter-final have taken a hit with the tournament's tallest bowler, Mohammed Irfan, laid low by an unusual injury that has ended his campaign.
Irfan, who at a reputed 216cm is among the tallest international bowlers to have played the game, has been diagnosed with a stress fracture of his pelvis after scans taken in Adelaide this afternoon confirmed the injury.
The 32-year-old left-armer did not play in Pakistan's victory over Ireland in Adelaide last Sunday due to what was initially described as a quadriceps "niggle" and did not bowl during his team's training session at the Adelaide Oval this morning.
However, the opening bowler had been sent for MRI scans yesterday and when the radiologist's report noted a stress injury but was otherwise inconclusive he underwent a more detailed scan this afternoon from which the condition was diagnosed.
The Pakistan Cricket Board issued a media release late today in which the team's Zimbabwe-born physiotherapist Brad Robinson said: "This injury rules Irfan out of the World Cup."
The release also revealed that, given the proximity of the diagnosis to Friday's knock-out match against Australia, a replacement player has not yet been selected and a decision on whether that happens will be made in the wake of the quarter-final result.
Should Pakistan win that game they will play either India or Bangladesh in an all-Asia semi-final at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Thursday week.
Pakistan's World Cup campaign has been plagued by injury and unavailability among key bowlers, with their top-ranked spinner Saeed Ajmal sidelined prior to the tournament due to flaws in his bowling action.
Quick Single: Ajmal still world's No.1 ODI bowler
Off-spinner Mohammad Hafeez, whose bowling action had also come under scrutiny, suffered a calf injury in the week before the tournament began and had to be replaced, as did seamer Junaid Khan whose place in the squad was taken by Rahat Ali.
In his five World Cup matches of the tournament to date, Irfan had captured eight wickets at an average of 23.25 with a best return of 4-30 in his team's 20-run win over Zimbabwe at the fast-bowler friendly Gabba in Brisbane.
That sees him ranked third among Pakistan's most successful bowlers for the tournament behind fellow left-armer Wahab Riaz (14 wickets at 22.43) and Sohail Khan (11 at 27.91).
While Irfan's pace and bounce could have proved decisive on an Adelaide pitch that Australia speedster Pat Cummins last weekend described as among the fastest he's played on this summer, Pakistan have a ready replacement at their fingertips.
Right-arm seamer Esan Adil shared the new-ball with Sohail in Sunday's win over Ireland and made the initial breakthrough for his team, trapping opener Paul Stirling lbw for three.
And another left-armer Rahat Ali has been part of the Pakistan attack for their past four matches – all of which they have won – and has picked up seven wickets at 22.14.
While stress fractures of the pelvis are not uncommon in long-distance runners and occasionally footballers, it is a rare condition to afflict a cricketer.
News of Irfan's injury led former England fast bowler, now cricket correspondent for the UK's Guardian newspaper Mike Selvey to tweet that it was "a new one to me I have to say".
The tower block that is Mohammad Irfan is out of W cup with stress fracture of pelvis, a new one to me I have to say.
— mike selvey (@selvecricket) March 17, 2015
It is understood treatment for pelvic stress fractures among athletes can require up to 12 months rest and rehabilitation which means, at age 32, Irfan's future at international level maybe uncertain.
He was a late starter in international cricket, having been born and raised in the rural Pakistani town of Gaggu Mandi in Punjab, where he was forced to abandon his hopes of pursuing a cricket career due to lack of opportunities.
Instead, he took a job at a business that manufactured plastic pipes in order to support his family but was discovered playing club cricket by former Pakistan World Cup-winning fast bowler (now UAE coach) Aaqib Javed who arranged for him to attend the National Cricket Academy in Lahore.
In three matches against Australia in the UAE last October, Irfan took three wickets at 43 runs apiece with an economy rate of 4.7 an over.
While he has not added to the tally of four Test matches he played for Pakistan in 2013, he has made 45 ODI appearances for his country in the past five years and captured 65 wickets at 29.10 with his return against Zimbabwe being his career-best.