Reuters reported earlier, quoting Inzamam-ul-Haq, the Pakistan captain, that the injury is a hairline fracture, which might cause him to miss the first half of the tour.

"The reports about him are a bit uncomfortable for us," Inzamam admitted.

"But he has done light training, so the fracture might not be a serious one. We will go by the doctor's report and advice."

Despite Inzamam's apparently pessimistic diagnosis, sources close to Shoaib deny that the injury is a serious one and that he is still almost certain to travel to England with the squad.

"As far as I know, that's not true at all and he will be ok for the England tour," said one, when asked to comment on Inzamam's statement.

The PCB is also unsure just now whether it is a hairline fracture and how it affects Shoaib's chances of touring. Saleem Altaf, director of PCB, told Cricinfo that the results of the scan have yet to be confirmed.

"The medical commission has carried out a series of tests on him but nobody has confirmed a fracture yet."

In any event, Shoaib has been training in the camp for the last few days, suggesting perhaps that the nature of the injury might not be that serious.

Earlier in the week, it was announced that Shoaib had merely twisted his ankle and needed a week's rest, but despite all the confusion, it is now clear that the injury is more serious than initially thought.