The fast bowler sustained a right elbow injury during the team's warm-up match against England A at Canterbury last week and, after the side had practised at Lord's here Wednesday, Pakistan coach Bob Woolmer said Asif had failed to make it into the side for Thursday's series opener.

"He unfortunately hasn't responded to the injection he's had and will be out of the first Test match," Woolmer told reporters.

The absence of 23-year-old Asif, who has taken 25 wickets at just 20 apiece in his five Tests, is yet another blow to Pakistan as they head into the first Test of a four-match series.

They had already seen lively pace bowler Naved ruled out of the whole tour with a groin problem, while reports from Pakistan on Wednesday indicated that spearhead quick Shoaib Akhtar was unlikely to be fit until the fourth Test, which starts at The Oval on August 17, as he recovers from a stress fracture of the ankle.

Uncapped left-arm quick Samiullah Niazi has been called up as cover.

Meanwhile opening batsman Shoaib Malik is also struggling to be fit for the first Test because of an elbow injury. "He's looking pretty doubtful," former England batsman Woolmer said.

Asif's place could be taken by leg-spinning all-rounder Shahid Afridi with Salman Butt a possible replacement for Malik.

Top-order batsman Younis Khan is also battling a knee injury and if he fails to make it then Faisal Iqbal, who played against England A, could come into the team.

But Woolmer added there was no point complaining about injuries, saying the likes of Mohammad Sami, fit after a knee problem, Umar Gul and Abdul Razzaq would have to take wickets in the absence of the frontline quicks.

"The other blokes will have to do the job. But it's important we score runs first."

Meanwhile England hope Matthew Hoggard, an ever-present in their last 32 Tests, will be able to play after sustaining a bizarre injury to his right, bowling, hand when it was trodden on by Yorkshire colleague Tim Bresnan while the pair were warming-up during the A team's draw against Pakistan.

Hoggard, who had stitches inserted into his hand, bowled with a cricket ball during practice at Lord's on Wednesday.

But afterwards England stand-in captain Andrew Strauss said it was too early to say if the 29-year-old seamer would play at Lord's.

"He did some useful work in the nets today. But we are going to give him as long as possible to prove his fitness.

"We all know Hoggy's done a very good job for the England team over the last 24 months and, certainly since the Ashes, he's probably been the pick of our bowlers."

Opening batsman Strauss, who will captain England for the first time in a Test when he leads the team out at his Middlesex home ground Thursday, is without Ashes-winning pacemen Andrew Flintoff (ankle) and Simon Jones (knee), as well as reserve quick James Anderson (back).

Jon Lewis and Sajid Mahmood appear to be competing for a place alongside Harmison, Liam Plunkett and left-arm spinner Monty Panesar in what is likely to a four-man England attack at Lord's.

(Article: Copyright © 2006 AFP)