Zak injury updates

[Crookbond]

Is he going to bowl tomorrow? It will be nice if he could bowl couple of overs here and there perhaps using a shorter run up and then take rest in the next test.

It would mean being out of the series as the Australia tour of 2003. It's a similar injury and around the same area. Ravi Shastri :

I wouldn't risk Zaheer either for the second innings or for the next Test match. I would have him bowl before the third in a tour game and then make an assessment whether to play him or not.

[anotherhawkeye]

Zak can effing go to hell.. No point in depending on an unfit bowler in an important series..

Have you seen Bhajji and Ishant bowl? Have you seen Sreesanth/Munaf bowl? We are effed no matter what. Unfortunately, zak is our only hope in this series.

[Karan114]

Have you seen Bhajji and Ishant bowl? Have you seen Sreesanth/Munaf bowl? We are effed no matter what. Unfortunately' date=' zak is our only hope in this series.[/quote'] Yep. I'm also frustrated by Zak's disregard for fitness, but when the other bowlers are rubbish like Sharma, Singh, Sreesanth etc. we have to hope Zak can somehow get fit for at least a couple of Tests.

[NareshK]

Have you seen Bhajji and Ishant bowl? Have you seen Sreesanth/Munaf bowl? We are effed no matter what. Unfortunately' date= zak is our only hope in this series.

iwP8VexfhYQ

[anotherhawkeye]

^ I know what he is capable of when on a song, but he has a beer belly now. More unfit than Zak.

[Cricket Tragic]

Nehra is already in London, could be an easy transition. But I'd rather have Zak fit

Oh God, no.

[pensionplan]

Zak can effing go to hell..

One step at a time. For now retirement from Tests.

[Cricketics]

Fly in R.P Singh if he's not fit fully. We don't want this circus to continue IN 2ND TEST

[Laaloo]

Status quo on Zaheer fitness front According to the India team manager Anirudh Chaudhary, there has been "a considerable improvement" in Zaheer's recovery from the hamstring injury he picked on the first afternoon at Lord's. Zaheer was expected to bowl in the second innings, at least according to the update sent by Chaudhary on the second day, but was only spotted walking in and out of the gymnasium. At Trent Bridge today, Zaheer did not join the rest of the squad at their complete nets but instead underwent a light training in the company of the team physio Ashish Kaushik. Initially both men walked around the ground, followed by a steady jog. Kaushik then put Zaheer through the paces while he timed him. Zaheer then did some stretching in the gymnasium. After the Lord's defeat, MS Dhoni had stated that he would not rush his premier fast bowler if he was not 100% fit. Chaudhary indicated that the chances of Zaheer returning for the second Test were positive. The lines continued to be blurred. http://www.espncricinfo.com/england-v-india-2011/content/current/story/525001.html

[Dhondy]

Too much focus on Zaheer. India are desperate for him to play, and given his previous heroics at Trent Bridge, he'll be shoehorned in. That MR scan did not show any tear and there is simply no medical reason to rest him. The injury is now in Zaheer's mind, who's petrified of breaking down completely. Given what's riding on this match, i fully expect him to walk out into the Nottingham sunshine on Friday. But the media are looking at the wrong man. Ishant Sharma grew up with that spell and he is India's danger man for the rest of the series. Does Ishant know how good he is? Somebody tell him, because Zaheer or not, the main threat to England is going to come from the 22-year old. I expect Zaheer to be comprehensively outbowled by his protege.

[Bumper]

Too much focus on Zaheer. India are desperate for him to play, and given his previous heroics at Trent Bridge, he'll be shoehorned in. That MR scan did not show any tear and there is simply no medical reason to rest him. The injury is now in Zaheer's mind, who's petrified of breaking down completely. Given what's riding on this match, i fully expect him to walk out into the Nottingham sunshine on Friday. But the media are looking at the wrong man. Ishant Sharma grew up with that spell and he is India's danger man for the rest of the series. Does Ishant know how good he is? Somebody tell him, because Zaheer or not, the main threat to England is going to come from the 22-year old. I expect Zaheer to be comprehensively outbowled by his protege.

Dhondy, I dont have a clue about the gravity of Zaheer's injury, but would you feel comfortable playing him in such an important test match ? What if he breaks down in the 2nd innings ? This English lineup will bat for 100 overs easily, so Zaheer needs to bowl long spells if he plays. Sreesanth may not be test match ready yet (in terms of form), but will last the test match. I also dont know how much we can read into Zaheer's 13 over spell that was bowled in very bowler friendly conditions. IMO, people are overestimating Zaheer's absence, albeit Zaheer is a mighty good bowler.

[Dhondy]

Yes Bumps, not even a minor tear on the MR- I'd play him. I run 7 miles+ with that kind of injury regularly and I am a decade older than Zaheer. And you are right on spot with your assessment. With his unavailability, he's suddenly become McGrath and Wasim rolled into one- he's none of that- more Chaminda Vaas, really. He'd be lucky to match Vaas' average and wickets by the time he finishes.

[Malcolm Merlyn]

Too much focus on Zaheer. India are desperate for him to play, and given his previous heroics at Trent Bridge, he'll be shoehorned in. That MR scan did not show any tear and there is simply no medical reason to rest him. The injury is now in Zaheer's mind, who's petrified of breaking down completely. Given what's riding on this match, i fully expect him to walk out into the Nottingham sunshine on Friday. But the media are looking at the wrong man. Ishant Sharma grew up with that spell and he is India's danger man for the rest of the series. Does Ishant know how good he is? Somebody tell him, because Zaheer or not, the main threat to England is going to come from the 22-year old. I expect Zaheer to be comprehensively outbowled by his protege.

Dhondy, I dont have a clue about the gravity of Zaheer's injury, but would you feel comfortable playing him in such an important test match ? What if he breaks down in the 2nd innings ? This English lineup will bat for 100 overs easily, so Zaheer needs to bowl long spells if he plays. Sreesanth may not be test match ready yet (in terms of form), but will last the test match. I also dont know how much we can read into Zaheer's 13 over spell that was bowled in very bowler friendly conditions. IMO, people are overestimating Zaheer's absence, albeit Zaheer is a mighty good bowler.

Yes Bumps, not even a minor tear on the MR- I'd play him. I run 7 miles+ with that kind of injury regularly and I am a decade older than Zaheer. And you are right on spot with your assessment. With his unavailability, he's suddenly become McGrath and Wasim rolled into one- he's none of that- more Chaminda Vaas, really. He'd be lucky to match Vaas' average and wickets by the time he finishes.

Doc and Bumper in town:woot: Doc So you think its a grade 1 Hamstring strain?I think 1 week is enough for that to heal.You postive about the MRI report?

[Mariyam]

^^^ If the extent of his injury is not that debilitating, then why is team India unwilling to clarify on his presence in the second test? Are we playing mind games with England? Keep them guessing about Zaheer's fitness and have him appear on the day of the match to dent their confidence? Maybe, just maybe its a smoke screen.

[Malcolm Merlyn]

^^^ If the extent of his injury is not that debilitating, then why is team India unwilling to clarify on his presence in the second test? Are we playing mind games with England? Keep them guessing about Zaheer's fitness and have him appear on the day of the match to dent their confidence? Maybe, just maybe its just a smoke screen.

Mindgames:facepalm: We are not gud at it.....

[ravsdh]

Mindgames:facepalm: We are not gud at it.....

guys, there is nothing to read into it, he is NOT going to play at TB, its time we stopped even considered it

[NareshK]

Something tells me Zak wont play for the rest of the tour at all. Akram said during commentary that if Zak had an hamstring injury he would be out for 6 weeks at least and it would take some time to heal because of the cold weather in England. So maybe all this talk about Zak coming back for 2nd test, then the 3rd is to not give England the psychological advantage. I hope I'm wrong though.

[Cricket Tragic]

I expect him to play the 3rd test after getting some overs under his belt in the warm up game.