Bell's injury threatens first England call-up

Selectors forced to grapple with additional fitness worries on eve of naming squad for Thursday's second Test against India

Any plans that the England selectors may have had this weekend for blooding another young player into their team for Thursday's second Test against India at Trent Bridge may have to be put on hold following the news that Ian Bell, one of the country's brightest young talents, has become the latest player to pick up an injury.

Bell, the 20-year-old Warwickshire batsman who was the star pupil at last winter's National Academy in Adelaide, is suffering from an undisplaced stress fracture to his back. He continues to play for his county but there must be concerns that this is the right road to travel down for a player of such tender age.

Bob Woolmer, the Warwickshire director of cricket, said: "The injury is a result of the wear and tear of playing too much cricket since the age of 17. It does not affect him when he bats, only when he bowls and fields in a crouched position such as short leg.

"Somewhere along the line he needs eight weeks rest to correct the problem and I would like to see him take this at the end of the season, up until Christmas. However, if England want him to play this week or go to Australia we need to talk."

With Bell already provisionally booked in to spend another winter at the academy in Adelaide, it appears that now would be a good time to sit down and assess what is the best way forward for this talented young cricketer.

Although back problems have generally been the grievance of fast bowlers, one only has to look at the effect such a complaint had on Michael Atherton. "As he isn't a bowler it should not be too much of a problem," the former England captain and opening batsman said. "But surgery should be the last resort. I would play through until I couldn't play any more and then do something about it."

Making a decision on whether to risk Bell or go for another top-order batsman has become a priority for the England selectors, following the decision of Graham Thorpe to take a complete break from cricket in order to repair his personal life.

In the past, filling the hole left by Thorpe would have been considered a major problem. But after the success enjoyed by England's batsmen already this summer it should be one that the England captain Nasser Hussain and his fellow selectors can easily overcome.

Along with Bell the names of Kent's Robert Key and David Fulton, and Surrey's Mark Ramprakash, have been touted as potential replacements. This window of opportunity may have come a week too early for Fulton, who has only recently returned to his county side after recovering from a broken finger.

Rather than opting for a shoot-out for the last spot between the old, Ramprakash, and the new, Key, it would not be a surprise to hear both names announced this morning, because there are still doubts over the welfare of Mark Butcher's troublesome left knee.

At the end of June the Surrey left-hander had an operation on it, which appears to have made little difference. Still complaining of soreness, the older and wiser Butcher finds himself in the same position as Bell, in that playing on now may affect the chances of going on the biggest and best of tours this winter: Australia.

Although Ramprakash appears the safer of the two options and is the form player, after recently scoring two double-hundreds for his county, it would be good to see the selectors take an opportunity to err on the side of youth. Most observers were excited by the enthusiasm and raw potential of Simon Jones when he made his debut at Lord's. The Glamorgan bowler may still have some way to go before he resembles the finished article but his presence was like a glass of chilled Sauvignon Blanc at the end of a hot day, and in some ways you could see it rub off on his colleagues as they went about their task.

While Key does not come across as such an enigmatic figure as Jones, who is still having scans on a side he strained during the first Test, the Kent opener's selection would still add a splash more intrigue to the occasion. It would also allow Butcher, should he play, to slip back down the order to No 3, a position he has enjoyed much success in already this season. With so many possibles, ifs and buts to contemplate, life as an England selector is proving to be a challenging job.

Having played so well this summer, many would feel that England deserve better than the luck than they are currently receiving. But successfully hurdling each obstacle put in front of them speaks volumes for the strength of character growing within the England team in general.

ENGLAND (Possible squad v India, Second Test, Trent Bridge, Thursday): N Hussain (capt), M P Vaughan, R Key, M P Butcher, J P Crawley, M R Ramprakash, A J Stewart (wkt), A Flintoff, C White, D G Cork, A F Giles, S P Jones, M J Hoggard.