Glamorgan seamer Simon Jones has been left rueing an injured right ankle which, after a fitness test, ruled him out of selection for England’s deciding Ashes Test at The Oval on Thursday.
Jones was put through his paces at Lord’s on Tuesday morning but his ankle was still painful and he was ruled out immediately.
He had been hoping to recover from the injury, which he sustained during the fourth Test victory at Trent Bridge, after a week of treatment in an oxygen chamber which was supposed to accelerate his recovery.
But after jogging under the team physiotherapist’s supervision it was clear Jones, who has claimed 18 wickets at just 21 runs apiece in the series, was not fit enough to bowl.
England may now recall James Anderson or Paul Collingwood as his replacement.
”It is a sickening blow,” said Jones, who was ruled out of the Ashes series in Australia after sustaining a serious knee ligament injury in the opening Test in Brisbane in November 2002.
”I have had a few injuries in my career, you have to get over the disappointment. These things happen.
”It’s not very nice watching but sometimes you have to do that to support the boys.”
England opening batsman Marcus Trescothick said of Jones’s withdrawal. ”It’s a big blow. He’s been a major player in the team. He’s unique, so he’s going to leave a hole.
”It’s a pressure situation, as big a game as anyone of us will ever play in,” Trescothick added.
Jones’s injury blow also denies England’s selectors the chance to choose an unchanged side for an entire Ashes series for the first time since Arthur Shrewsbury’s side toured Australia in 1884-5.
Should the selectors decide on Lancashire seamer Anderson, who has claimed 51 championship wickets this season, it would be a major gamble for such a massive Test as England attempt to claim the draw or victory which would win the Ashes for the first time since 1986-7.
Anderson has claimed only 14 wickets in his last seven Tests at 50 apiece, but has performed well in county cricket this season and still has the ability to swing the ball, which has troubled Australia’s batsmen all summer.
Collingwood would strengthen England’s batting line-up with over 1 000 Test runs for Durham this summer, but his bowling is less of a threat after claiming only 20 championship wickets.
As news of Jones’s absence was announced, Australia fast bowler Glenn McGrath was trying to prove his fitness with what turned out to be an hour-long bowling stint, split by a brief rain break, in The Oval nets.
McGrath, one of only four bowlers to have taken 500 Test wickets, missed England’s fourth Test victory at Trent Bridge with a right elbow injury.
The Australia spearhead was also forced out of England’s other win this series when he missed the second Test at Edgbastion after injuring an ankle while treading on a cricket ball during the warm-up.
However, the Australia selectors are not expected to make a decision on McGrath’s fitness until Wednesday at the earliest. – Sapa-AFP