Pakistan coach Bob Woolmer confirmed on Wednesday that pace bowler Navedul Hasan will not feature in next week's first Test against England at Lord's.

Naved sustained a groin injury while playing for Sussex earlier in the English season and there were fears surgery might be required.

But the 28-year-old has made encouraging progress in his recovery and Pakistan had planned to give him a fitness Test on Thursday morning before the start of the tourists' four-day warm-up match against England A at Canterbury.

However, that try-out has been delayed until the weekend at the earliest.

And with Naved not expected to be hitting top pace in the nets until Monday or Tuesday, just days before the start of the first Test on July 13, Woolmer said there was no point jeopardising Naved's fitness for the four-Test series just so he could feature at Lord's.

"He is improving on a daily basis and we were going to give him a fitness test tomorrow (Friday). But we have put him back a little bit because we feel he is getting better," Woolmer said Wednesday.