Kent's selection strategy and hopes of saving their four-day game against Nottinghamshire were wrecked on Friday when overseas star Yasir Arafat was admitted to hospital with suspected appendicitis.

The 26-year-old all-rounder from Rawalpindi was taken to the Chaucer Hospital in Canterbury by Kent's physiotherapist Nimmo Reid with severe lower abdominal pain.

After initial tests, Arafat was admitted to hospital overnight. He was said to be more comfortable on Saturday morning and awaiting the results of a second set of blood tests.

Reid said: "They will keep a close eye on things but he is the right sort of age to suffer appendicitis, although it is quite rare for people from the sub-continent to go down with it because their diet is usually quite different to ours."

Should Arafat need surgery, he is likely to be out of action for a couple of weeks but, if the inflammation settles down, then he could return to action in no time at all.