Nasser Hussain watched England lose their opening match to the Australian Cricket Board Chairman’s XI here yesterday and then lamented the slow return to fitness of his injured players.
The England captain, with scarcely suppressed anger, hinted that the medical advice he and the team management received before the start of the tour is proving to be incorrect.
England virtually admitted that Andrew Flintoff is out of the first Test when they announced that he will continue his rehabilitation from a double hernia operation at the academy in Adelaide.
“Although Andrew’s recovery is running behind schedule, we’re confident he’ll take some part in the Ashes series,” said the England coach Duncan Fletcher. “We believe he can best receive intensive treatment at the academy.”
The Durham fast bowler Steve Harmison was the latest casualty yesterday, when he suffered concussion after banging his head on the out field. Harmison perhaps had some excuse for the 16 wides – including eight in one over and seven in succession – that followed.
England have only 10 fully fit players in a squad of 16, just five days into the tour. Hussain is particularly exasperated by the slow progress of Flintoff and Michael Vaughan (knee), whose operations were designed to ensure their fitness for this tour. Vaughan had an injection yesterday in an attempt to speed his recovery.
“It’s annoying and worrying and the situation is beginning to bug me,” Hussain said. “The medical advice we received was that all the injured players we brought on tour would be fit for the first Test.
“At least we had some good news about Darren Gough, who ran in and bowled well in the nets. Simon Jones is not 100% and I had to handle him carefully. But he will definitely benefit from playing in this game. There’s no hiding place any more – players have got to start playing.”
