The Hindu : Sport : England anxious about Hoggard's fitness

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Jul 10, 2006

Sport

Sport

England anxious about Hoggard's fitness

Ted Corbett

LONDON: A jinxed England will spend three anxious days watching the progress of its new ball bowler Matthew Hoggard who is doubtful after a freak accident to his hand during a warm-up session while he was playing for England `A' at Canterbury. Hoggard is doubtful for the first Test against Pakistan at Lord's and the anxiety of the selectors is understandable for he has been a key player in England's long run of success.

In the 32 Tests since England won at Sabina Park, Kingston in March 2004 on the back of Steve Harmison's marvellous bowling, Hoggard has played in every match, producing one great spell after another, taking 133 wickets at 26.53.

As England is already without Andrew Flintoff, who in the same period has grabbed 133 wickets at 26.26 — as well as scoring 2,011 runs at 38.67 — the change in the strength of the bowling is obvious. Harmison has taken 114 wickets in that time, but he was far below his best in the 5-0 drubbing by Sri Lanka in the one-day international series.

Between them, Hoggard and Flintoff have taken 46.76 per cent of the England wickets in the era in which the team has the astonishing record of 18 wins in 32 games, with six defeats and eight draws.

Onset of injuries

The glory years finished with the winning of the Ashes and the onset of injury. Michael Vaughan is likely to be out for at least the next seven months and Simon Jones for another four months. Ashley Giles says he will be fit for the Ashes tour. Four of those six beatings have come in the nine Tests since victory at the Oval last year.

Hoggard was hurt when Tim Bresnan, a fellow Yorkshireman, stood on his hand while they were playing with a football. Fair enough, but what was Hoggard doing in that match anyway? He did not play in the one-dayers, but he is such an established member of the side that surely he hardly needed to practice the art that comes so naturally to him.

No surprise

Duncan Fletcher, the coach, did not watch the `A' team match, which is why there is no surprise that the out-of-form wicketkeeper Geraint Jones keeps his place even though the skilful Chris Read scored a century and kept wicket with comfort, a contrast with the fumbling Jones.

David Graveney, the chairman of selectors, said: "We have included five pace bowlers in the squad as we need cover for Hoggard following his hand injury. Matthew's injury will be re-assessed by our medical staff on Tuesday and we will give him the maximum time he needs to prove his fitness, as he is the most experienced member of our attack. A decision is unlikely to be made until Thursday morning. Andrew Flintoff was not considered, but his recovery from an ankle injury is progressing according to schedule. Flintoff is likely to be fit for the second Test."

To fill the vast gaps left by the absence of Hoggard and Flintoff, England has called up Sajid Mahmood — who bowled one spell of seven overs for 80 in the one-day games — and Jon Lewis who might have been a better choice for the limited-overs format since he has been part of the Gloucestershire side that won six one-day trophies between 1999 and 2004.

The squad: Andrew Strauss, Marcus Trescothick, Alistair Cook, Ian Bell, Kevin Pietersen, Paul Collingwood, Geraint Jones, Liam Plunkett, Steve Harmison, Jon Lewis, Monty Panesar, Matthew Hoggard, Sajid Mahmood.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Sport