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| Sunday, 15 September 2002 |
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World Cup concerns for injury- hit England COLOMBO, Sept 14 (Reuters) - England coach Duncan Fletcher is concerned about his unsettled one-day squad, with injuries to key players undermining preparations for next year's World Cup in South Africa. "There is some concern," he told reporters on Friday after arriving for the 12-nation Champions Trophy. Nasser Hussain captains a squad depleted by the absence through injury of in-form opener Michael Vaughan, all-rounder Andrew Flintoff and leading fast bowler Darren Gough. England are in pool two at the tournament along with India and Zimbabwe. "We had hoped to have pretty settled on our 14-15, with one or two positions still up for grabs, to give (the newcomers) the experience they require," Fletcher said. "We haven't chopped and changed, but rather we haven't been able to consolidate and sort of build a momentum," the former Zimbabwe skipper added. Fletcher thinks players should have played at least 30 one-day internationals before being considered for a major event like the World Cup. Tough tournament Hussain admitted his inexperienced side faced a huge task to qualify for the semi-finals, with the hot conditions also likely to take their toll on his players. "It's just a tournament, but a very quick tournament to be honest," he said. "Every game is important, it's not one you can ease into." "We obviously have huge amount of injuries throughout the English summer and we have got a very inexperienced squad and I would say for once we are looking a little bit further ahead. "Obviously, we are looking to win this tournament, but we are being realistic, looking to see what people can hold their hands up for the more important stuff towards the end of this winter." Gough missed the recent home test series against Sri Lanka and India with a long-term knee injury and is now targeting a return for the Ashes tour. Flintoff, a genuine all-rounder who played a key role in England's fightback to draw a six-match one-day series in India earlier this year, is facing a hernia operation, while Vaughan, who scored four test centuries against Sri Lanka and India, is undergoing a knee operation. Big-hitting Somerset all-rounder Ian Blackwell replaces Flintoff, while James Kirtley, a 27-year-old pace bowler who has taken only six wickets in seven one-day internationals, comes in for Gough. Hussain said England's group rivals would hold few surprises for each other. "We have played both teams a lot in the last year and this year," he said. "It will be up to us to surprise a few people out here." |
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