Onions ruled out of Test opener

Pa,Rory Dollard
Wednesday 10 March 2010 11:44 GMT
Comments
(GETTY IMAGES)

England bowler Graham Onions has been ruled out of the first Test against Bangladesh with a back injury.

The Durham paceman picked up the problem during net practice after joining up with the one-day international squad.

Fellow bowler Stuart Broad also has a back injury and is having a fitness test today.

James Tredwell seems certain to come in after taking eight wickets against Bangladesh A and, if Broad is also ruled out, there could be a whirlwind Test bow for Steve Finn.

The 6ft 7in 20-year-old only arrived in the country on Saturday but caught the eye with some well-directed, hostile spells against Bangladesh A and may have leapfrogged Liam Plunkett and Ajmal Shahzad.

Coach Andy Flower said: "I wouldn't rule Finn out. He's been added to the party and he's a contender for selection.

"He's bowled with pace on a slow pitch and bowled with accuracy; he's quite a good prospect."

Tredwell, meanwhile, has also done a fine job of proving his credentials to Flower.

"He's got a bit of confidence now and, if we decided to play two spinners in the Test, he's feeling good about himself," added Flower.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in