TIM BRESNAN will have a scan on his left foot today after being ruled out of Friday’s second Test against Bangladesh with a stress fracture.
The Yorkshire all-rounder has been replaced in the squad for the Old Trafford encounter by former White Rose seamer Ryan Sidebottom, but the door is now open for Ajmal Shahzad to make his debut.
“It’s a cruel blow for Tim because of his form recently with England,” said Yorkshire’s director of professional cricket Martyn Moxon.
“He’s got injured at a time when he’s forced his way into the England team both in the one-dayers and the Tests. There’s never a good time to get injured, but this certainly isn’t a good time.”
Bresnan, 25, took four wickets in 50.2 overs in the win at Lord’s over the weekend.
He starred in England’s recent successful World Twenty20 campaign in the West Indies, and has played in each of England’s last three Test matches at home and abroad.
Moxon continued: “I think he’s felt something for a little while, but during this Test match it’s progressively got worse. It would appear that the situation is that he has taken a quite a few painkillers to get through it.”
Bresnan returned to Headingley yesterday in a cast, but did not see any cricket as the final day of Yorkshire’s LV= County Championship match against Lancashire was washed out. The White Rose take five points from the draw and Lancashire eight.
Both sides waited around until 4pm to try and get on the field in order to get an extra bonus point each, but the lack of play meant that Yorkshire dropped to second in the division one table behind Nottinghamshire.
Shahzad will link up with the rest of the England squad at Old Trafford this morning.
The 24-year-old was an unused squad member for the World Twenty20 and the first Test.
He has played one Twenty20 international against Pakistan at Dubai in February, and made his one-day international debut against Bangladesh at Chittagong in March. The seamer was also part of the Test squad for that tour of Bangladesh. Moxon added: “As ever with injuries, one man’s loss is another man’s gain. This could be Ajmal’s chance, and hopefully he does well.” Herschelle Gibbs and Clint McKay will both feature in an inter-squad practice match today ahead of tomorrow’s Friends Provident Twenty20 opener against Derbyshire at Headingley.
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