London, August 01:
Fast bowler
Alex Tudor is optimistic that he will be able to prove his
fitness to the England selectors ahead of next week's second
Test against India.
However, England captain
Nasser Hussain has laid down stringent guidelines concerning
bowlers returning from injury which Tudor may not be able to meet.
Hussain, who was also
without Tudor's fellow quicks Darren Gough (knee) and Andrew
Caddick (side) during the first Test, was adamant that before
earning a recall, bowlers must first prove their fitness in a
first-class fixture.
And because Surrey's next
championship match starts at Hove on August 8 - the same day
England begin the second Test against India at Trent Bridge -
Tudor appears to be out of contention.
Surrey quick Tudor, 24,
missed England's 170-run win concluded Monday in the series opener
at Lord's with shin splints - an injury sustained during India's
one-day triangular series final victory two weeks earlier.
He returned to county
action on Sunday with seven overs against Essex in a One-day
League match and expects to be in the side for the Trophy
semi-final against Yorkshire at Headingley - a match delayed 24
hours until Thursday because of a complete washout.
However, his cause could
be helped if the 'slight' injuries sustained by pace bowlers Simon
Jones (side strain) and Andrew Flintoff (groin) at Lord's worsen
and England are left short of alternatives.
Tudor's latest injury
problem was particularly ill-timed because he won the
man-of-the-match during England's previous Test, a 10-wicket
victory over Sri Lanka at Old Trafford in June - a performance
that many thought had cemented his international place.
"I was very frustrated to
miss out on the Test match," said Tudor. "I wanted to use this
Test towards establishing myself in the England team.
"I was lucky enough to
get the man-of-the-match award in the previous Test at Old
Trafford and got drafted into the one-day squad and I wanted to be
part of the first Test against India at Lord's.
"It was disappointing I
wasn't able to do that, but hopefully the injury has cleared up
now and if things go well maybe I'll get in for the next Test.
