D-day looms for crocked ace Mahmood

6:40am Tuesday 16th September 2008

Sajid Mahmood should know this week whether his left intercostal strain will rule him out for the rest of the county season.

The Lancashire bowler from Bolton has been on the Old Trafford treatment table since August 23 with the injury picked up in the County Championship defeat against Kent at Canterbury.

Lancashire’s medical team ruled the 26-year-old out for three to four weeks, and were cautious over his participation in the rest of their campaign.

But he has been under the watchful eye of the club’s physio Sam Byrne, and will have another scan this week.

“I’m not in pain at all, I can’t feel the injury in everyday life. It hurt one day when I was bowling, and the scan revealed a tear,” he said. “It’s annoying because I keep thinking I am fine. Then I practice my bowling action, and I feel it again.

“It’s really frustrating. I’d been having a decent season, and it’s annoying that I can’t finish it off and improve it even further.”

The ex-Astley Bridge star had fired himself back into the thoughts of the England selectors with 35 County Championship wickets at an average of 32.77.

He had been named in England’s provisional 30-man Champions Trophy squad that was to be cut to 15. But the tournament, scheduled for this month, was cancelled because of security fears in Pakistan.

“It’s a bit of a relief to be honest,” continued Mahmood. “The last thing I’d want is to be ruled out of an England squad through injury when I have worked so hard to get back in.”

Mahmood will miss out on one of his favourite venues this week, as Lancashire face Kent in a relegation crunch clash at Liverpool Cricket Club tomorrow. He claimed his career best one-day figures of 5-16 there last year, albeit in a friendly win against Sri Lanka A.

Should Mahmood recover in time to play again this season, he would face Somerset at Taunton next week.

Mahmood’s was ringside for cousin Amir Khan’s knockout defeat to Colombian fighter Breidas Prescott recently.

“It was really horrible to watch,” he added. “I saw him get hit the first time, and his eyes were everywhere. I couldn’t bear it. I put my shirt over my head, and missed the knockout.”

Francois Du Plessis will miss Lancashire’s final game of the season against Somerset because he is returning to South Africa to prepare for the domestic season with his side, the Titans.

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