Eoin Morgan’s inclusion in ICC World Cup 2011 still doubtful
Eoin Morgan revealed on Monday that he did not require surgery on his fractured finger as it had healed enough. However, a spokesman for the English team said on Tuesday that Morgan’s inclusion in the ICC World Cup 2011 squad was not 100% confirmed.
“He will be reassessed again (sic) in the next two days, and that decision will be taken then. But it is likely he will not need surgery,” he said.
The player wrote on a social networking website yesterday: “No need for an op on my finger... pretty much healed... will be back sooner than expected.”
The middle-order batsman had fractured the middle finger of his left hand during a One-Day International (ODI) against Australia. He had played on for two matches after suffering a blow in Adelaide. The player was then told that he would require surgery
on the fractured finger after which he was to take six weeks rest for the finger’s recovery. This schedule would have gotten him off the field for the entire World Cup. Thus, he was replaced by right-handed batsman Ravi Bopara in the 15-man World Cup squad.
As Morgan was officially ruled out of the squad on 7th February, his return to the field in the later stages of the World Cup will only be possible if an English batsman gets injured enough to be replaced. Morgan played a key role in England’s Twenty20 World
Cup campaign and his absence will put more burden on Paul Collingwood’s shoulder, who has returned to play after missing the last of the seven-match ODI series against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Australia-c746 due to back spasm.
http://www.senore.com/Cricket/England-c749 coach Andy Flower said that missing Morgan was a great jerk for the English squad, but he had been replaced with Ravi Bopara. Bopara has featured in 54 ODIs, scoring 1,140 runs with an average of 28.50. The 25-year-old made his ODI debut against
Australia in Sydney in February 2007. The last ODI he played was against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Pakistan-c755 at the Oval in September 2010.
Other than Morgan, many other English players had also sustained injuries during the recently-concluded ODI series against Australia. Most of them have recovered to take part in the ICC World Cup 2011.
The England team will have their first warm-up match on Wednesday against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Netherlands-c753 on 22nd February.
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