New Delhi, Feb 7 (IANS) India medium pacer Praveen Kumar is doubtful for the cricket World Cup-2011, beginning Feb 19, as he is yet to recover from an elbow injury to his bowling arm.
The Uttar Pradesh bowler underwent a fitness test Monday at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bangalore after returning from England, where he went to take last minute advice on his injury. Along with Praveen, Kerala speedster S. Sreesanth also took a fitness test
Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary N. Srinivasan refused to comment on Praveen’s injury status, but said the board has to take permission from the International Cricket Council (ICC) before making any replacement.
‘It is not easy to replace an injured player just like that. Before making any replacement we have to take permission from the ICC and the player should be from the pool of 30 probables for the World Cup,’ Srinivasan told IANS.
Praveen picked up the injury at the start of the ODI series in South Africa and was sent back home to recover at the NCA. He rushed to London to take advice from eminent surgeon, Andrew Wallace, who had treated Sachin Tendulkar in the past.
Though Sreesanth looks a strong contender to replace Praveen, the board might be hesitant to included the temperamental fast bowler in the 15-member side because of his on-field behaviour.
Sreesanth was rebuked by captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni during the series in South Africa. He was also fined 10 percent of his match fees by the International Cricket Council (ICC) for showing dissent during the third Test in Cape Town.
That makes Karnataka bowler R. Vinay Lumar and Delhi’s lanky pacer Ishant Sharma also possible replacements for Praveen. But Sreesanth bowled well in the Test series in South Africa. Though he was not part of the ODI series in South Africa, he picked up seven wickets in the two ODIs he played against New Zealand at home late last year.
