Injury blow for Australia

2 April 2007

Shane Watson © Getty Images

Australia all-rounder Shane Watson is expected to be out for three weeks with an injured calf.

The world champions are not, however, planning to call up a World Cup replacement for Watson, who had a scan on the injury after pulling up mid-over in Saturday’s landslide Super Eight win over Bangladesh.

A scan on Sunday revealed a minor tear and the Australia camp believe Watson stands a good chance of being fit for the semi-finals and final of this tournament at the end of the month.

Watson’s injury is to the left leg and follows on from the hamstring problem to the same leg which ruled him out of the 2006/07 Ashes.

The 25-year-old has been crucial to the balance of Australia’s team in both forms of the game when he has been fit over the past two years.

Australia physiotherapist Alex Kountouris rates him “likely” to be fit for a semi-final on April 24 or 25.

But he added: “I want to review it later in the week. It all depends on how quickly he’s improving.

“If he is feeling great by the end of the week, the prognosis is very good. If it’s not, it’s probably going to take a lot longer to recover.”

Watson’s injury is the latest in a succession to affect the World Cup favourites, with Andrew Symonds (bicep) and Matthew Hayden (foot) recovering just in time for the Caribbean campaign - while Brett Lee (ankle) did not make it.

Watson’s injury is inconvenient but not serious. “There’s nothing major, no long-term sort of damage,” Kountouris added.

“You would probably want him to be as close to 100 per cent as possible for him to come back because you wouldn’t want it to re-occur.”

Batsman Brad Hodge, who bowls occasional off-spin, is the most likely member of Australia’s 15-man squad to be selected in place of Watson.