Sunday 15 January 2012

Stuart Broad's foot injury raises England fitness fears for first Test


Seamer suffers 'bang on foot' during practice for first Test
• Kevin Pietersen ready to take on Pakistan despite lack of runs
England medical staff examine Stuart Broad
England medical staff examine Stuart Broad's foot after he was injured during practice for the opening Test against Pakistan in Dubai. 
Stuart Broad has suffered a foot injury in net practice in Dubai as England's accident-prone buildup to the first Test against Pakistan continued.
Broad was hit on the left boot when batting in the nets at the ICC's Global Cricket Academy on Sunday morning and did not take any part in the fielding practice that followed at the nearby Dubai International Cricket Stadium, where the Test starts on Tuesday.
England played down fears that Broad may now be doubtful for the match. James Anderson, his likely new‑ball partner, said: "I don't think we're worried about it at the moment. He's just got a bang on the foot with the ball, so I wouldn't have thought it will be a serious injury."
England have already lost one of their seamers in a net session on the tour, after Tim Bresnan felt discomfort in his elbow following surgery late last year and was ruled out for the whole series.
Chris Tremlett picked up an eye infection just before the team left home, which ruled him out of England's first warm-up game and is still affecting his vision – he bowled in sunglasses again in practice on Sunday, as he had done in the victory over a Pakistan Board XI last week.
Graeme Swann suffered a thigh strain in that opening game, although the damage was not as serious as first feared and he declared himself fit after playing against the Board XI.
Kevin Pietersen had a long one-on-one session in Sunday's nets session with Mushtaq Ahmed, the former Pakistan leg‑spinner who is a member of Andy Flower's coaching staff. Pietersen has scored only 57 runs in four innings in England's two warm-up matches and has fallen three times to spin.
He dismissed fears over his form. "It isn't a concern at all," Pietersen told Sky Sports News. "I think I've scored one hundred out of all the warm-up games I've played for England in seven or eight years so for me it is not a problem.
"My first 10 balls and how I start is important and I did that a couple of times in two knocks and that is all I'm really interested in – getting to the wicket and starting well. In the second innings in both of those games I was trying to push on."
Source:http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2012/jan/15/stuart-broad-injury-england-test?newsfeed=true

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