Depleted India lose Zaheer
Zaheer Khan, right, will play no further part in India's tour of England. He faces surgery and up to 16 weeks out of action
Zaheer Khan has been ruled out of the remainder of India's tour of England.
The 32-year-old left-arm seamer needs ankle surgery, which will rule him out until November.
A statement from the Board of Control for Cricket in India read: “Zaheer Khan is suffering from a recurrent right hamstring strain and a right ankle impingement.
"He will require a surgery for his ankle, followed by intensive rehabilitation for both the ankle and hamstring. He will need at least 14-16 weeks to recover completely.
"He will therefore not be able to participate in the ongoing Test series and subsequent T20 international and ODI series against England."
Zaheer sustained a hamstring injury in the first npower Test at Lord's after bowling just 13.3 overs, and played no part in the second Test.
Although he returned to action in the two-day match against Northamptonshire which finished yesterday, he managed only three overs before leaving the field for treatment.
India have called up fellow left-armer RP Singh for the remainder of the tour, which continues on Wednesday with the third Test at Edgbaston. The 25-year-old last played a Test in April 2008 and an ODI in September 2009.
The news comes as a further blow for India, who this week lost Harbhajan Singh and Yuvraj Singh through injury for the remainder of the four-Test series, which England lead 2-0.
The Test campaign is followed by a Twenty20 international and a five-match NatWest Series.
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