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| Saturday, 28 December 2002 |
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World Cup injury worries by Ben Kunicki
Several star players are struggling to shake off injuries in time for the World Cup. BBC Sport assesses the major injury doubts and the chances of those players appearing in the sport's biggest tournament. Australia Shane Warne is a major worry after dislocating his shoulder in the VB series match against England on Sunday at the MCG. Examination revealed the injury was not as bad as first feared and Warne could feasibly be fit in time for the start of the World Cup. However, leg-spinners rely more than any other bowler on their bowling shoulder and such an injury must make him a major doubt to fully participate. England
Michael Vaughan is expected to return for the Boxing Day Test match against Australia but a series of minor injuries have put him under a cloud. Ashley Giles' broken wrist has already ruled him out of the Test series against Australia and the player himself is wondering whether he will be called back into the one-day squad in January. Although his injury will have healed by the World Cup, others have been given a chance to shine in his absence. Jeremy Snape is in the same situation as Giles, missing out on the VB series with a broken thumb. He could well miss out on a trip to Africa. Andrew Flintoff's injury problems have perplexed the England management with the all-rounder failing to recover from hernia surgery as quickly as expected. He is now undergoing an extensive rehabilitation programme and is almost certain to be selected in England's final 15 for the World Cup. New Zealand If the Black Caps are to have any chance of winning the World Cup then a fully-fit Chris Cairns will be vital. The all-rounder has been plagued by knee problems over the past two years and his latest comeback for the one-dayers against New Zealand has been put back until mid-series. Like Flintoff for England, Cairns is likely to be selected for New Zealand's final squad but he will be short of match practice and his past record suggests he is not certain to make it through the tournament. Pakistan The star of the 1999 World Cup, Shoaib Akhtar, is causing concern for Pakistan. Shoaib will miss the upcoming Test series against South Africa after suffering a recurrence of a longstanding knee problem. His departure from the series is precautionary with the Pakistan management still optimistic that Shoaib will be firing on all cylinders come March. Sri Lanka
As their heavy defeat to an under-strength England team in the VB Series proved, the Sri Lankan attack can seem toothless without star man Muttiah Muralitharan. Murali is currently recuperating from a hernia operation and is expected to return for the second half of the VB Series in Australia. However, Flintoff's elongated recovery from a similar problem proves that these matters do not always resolve themselves as expected and this is Murali's second major injury of the year. West Indies
The West Indian youngsters performed miracles in India in overturning their opponents on home soil without their two most experienced batsmen. Captain Carl Hooper is recovering from an operation to clean-up his knee and seems to be in line to return to lead the side. However, Brian Lara still remains under a cloud having yet to return from his rest following a bout of hepatitis. Lara will be desperately short of match practice come the World Cup but his genius is such, that it is unlikely the selectors will leave him at home. Courtesy: BBC |
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