Thursday, January 13, 2011

Mashrafe jogging but might miss WC cut


Three weeks after Mashrafe bin Mortaza picked up a seemingly World Cup ending knee injury, the paceman from Narail started light jogging and batting without any pain yesterday. But despite the encouraging prognosis, there is hardly any chance for the former Bangladesh captain to receive the fitness clearance before the 15-member team announcement for the ICC World Cup.

The Rafiqul Islam-led selection panel is likely to submit the 15-member team from the short-listed 23-member squad on January 16, as all 14 teams participating in the tournament have to announce their final fifteen before January 19 this year.

The obvious question during Wednesday's practice at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur was whether the Narail Express would be available for selection but national team physio Michael Henry ruled out any chances whatsoever.

“No, he won't. No chance,” responded Henry when he was asked whether Mashrafe would be fit before the final team announcement.

“He (Mashrafe) ran for the first time today, since he got injured. He did some light jogging and he also batted. But we are focusing on making sure there's no repercussion and we are pushing his rehab. Of course, we will try to hold off till the last minute,” he added.

Henry was not ready to give any timeline about when Mashrafe will be able to start bowling.

“There's a timeline but that's up to Mashrafe. We are not putting any external pressure. We will try to make it a clinical decision rather than one based on a timeline,” Henry explained.

Mashrafe, who sustained his latest knee injury on December 21 last year during a Premier Division Cricket League match at BKSP, however said that he would start bowling within two weeks.

“I started running today and also batted without any pain. Our physio has not told me when I will be able to start bowling but I hope that within two weeks time I can start bowling,” said Mashrafe, who had earlier expressed his determination to play the World Cup at home.

A fit Mashrafe is always an automatic choice for the team and he might be match fit before the World Cup but right at this moment there is no scope for the selectors to include Mashrafe in the team unless they break

with normal practice to accommodate an unfit player in the side.