Asif, Sami to fly separately to West Indies

Karachi:

Pakistani pacers Mohammed Asif and Mohammad Sami will reach the West Indies for the World Cup separately and not with the national team. The defending champions are scheduled to leave the Pakistani shores on Saturday.

According to the planned trip, the Pakistani team will first reach Dubai and from there to St Lucia via London. However, Asif's is barred from entering the United Arab Emirates and Sami does not have a visa for the United Kingdom hence the pace duo can not travel with their team.

Asif was detained in Dubai for 19-days in 2008 for possession of a small quantity of hashish and was deported to Pakistan.

Pakistan team manager Yawar Saeed said Asif will travel directly to London from where he will go to the West Indies. "Sami doesn't have a visa for the UK so he will go to Dubai and take a direct flight to St Lucia," Yawar said.

Sami has come into the side as a replacement for injured Umar Gul and interestingly he has still to make his Twenty20 international debut despite having played in the Indian Cricket League and in Test and one-day internationals.

Yawar said that Asif and Sami would reach St Lucia around the same time as the Pakistan team despite taking different flights.

"We are keen that the whole team starts its practice sessions and plays its World Cup warm up matches together."

Yawar also said that he did not feel that Asif's ongoing issues with actress and model Veena Malik would affect his performance in the World Cup.

"It is his personal matter and as far as we can see he is focussing a lot on his cricket and preparations for the World Cup so we are not worried," he said.