Strauss worried about injury-prone World Cup squad
English captain Andrew Strauss is worried about his team’s manpower as six of his key players are currently hurt and their availability for the team during the upcoming ICC World Cup 2011 is suspicious.
Eoin Morgan, England’s middle-order batsman, is the latest in the list of injured players for the country, fracturing his left hand’s middle finger during the last One Day International against Australia in Perth.
Strauss and coach Andy Flower are set to meet selectors to discuss possible replacements and finalise the final 15-man squad for the World Cup.
Strauss hopes most of his players will be available for the World Cup, but is not sure of Morgan. “There's obviously got to be a chance that he’s not going to feature [at the World Cup]. We're going to have to think through – at what stage is the cut-off
point the guy needs to be replaced. We're pretty confident the other guys are going to be fit, but Morgan we are not sure of at this stage.” Strauss said Morgan’s unavailability in the World Cup will be a big blow to the team. “It’s a big loss for us potentially.
He is particularly important in those conditions as well, being able to clear the ropes in the manner that he does, hopefully there will be an opportunity for him to play. If he isn’t available someone is going to have to fill those shoes.”
After a successful Ashes series, in which England subjected http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Australia-c746 to a crushing defeat, the team’s graph only went down as the string of injuries caused the team’s performance and morale to plummet. Stuart Broad was the first man to be injured during
the ODI series against Australia. Tim Bresnan followed him in the dressing room with a calf tear and http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Ajmal-Shahzad-c42489 pulled a hamstring soon afterwards. Spinner Graeme Swann crashed out too with a knee injury and back strain. Paul Collingwood is also off the
field currently with a back injury. With the departure of Morgan from the squad, more than half the playing team is currently off the grounds.
This alarming state of the players’ fitness just before the World Cup is a big cause of concern for the team management and the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB).
“The first thing to ponder is who is fit and who is not fit,” said the captain, Andrew Strauss.
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