Injury may force Kumble out of Australia series

Indian leg-spinner Anil Kumble, sidelined since October with a shoulder injury, says he might not be fit for next month's Australian tour of India.

"It doesn't look really great," Kumble, considered key to India's prospects, told Reuters over telephone from Bangalore.

Kumble said he is leaving for South Africa early next week to consult Johannesburg shoulder specialist Mark Ferguson after rehabilitation exercises had failed to solve his problem.

"I have done physiotherapy but it hasn't really helped. I will have a reassessment and treatment. I will be in South Africa for at least a week and only then I will know," Kumble said.

Kumble complained of shoulder pain and withdrew midway through India's campaign in the Sharjah Cup triangular one-day tournament in October.

India's second highest Test wicket-taker with 276 victims felt severe pain when he tried to bowl recently and realised his shoulder injury is not improving.

"It is still painful. I tried to bowl 10 days back and it was definitely painful," he said.

The Indian board has agreed to foot the bill for Kumble's treatment and he will be accompanied by the team's South African physiotherapist Andrew Leipus.

"He (Leipus) will be the best judge," Kumble said.

Kumble said he hopes he will not have to undergo arthroscopy which would rule him out of the series against Australia.

Australia arrive in India on February 14 to play three Tests and a five-match one-day international series.

Kumble missed a one-off Test in Bangladesh in November and a home series against Zimbabwe that followed.

Kumble, who played for Leicestershire in the English county last season, captured all 10 Pakistani second innings wickets in February 1999 to match English spinner Jim Laker's World record and set up a memorable series-levelling victory.

Mail Cricket Editor