Mahmood swings Lancashire fortunes after injury blow

Profiles / Editor / 03 June 2007 / Leave a Comment

Sajid Mahmood is to undergo a double hernia operation that will rule him out of up to six weeks of action for Lancashire and England.

The Bolton-born paceman will be unavailable for the remaining two Tests against West Indies and the one-day series, for which he would probably have been integral to England's bowling attack.

"He has been having some discomfort since returning from the World Cup," said Lancashire cricket manager Mike Watkinson.
"Our medical staff decided we needed to find out the cause, and he will be having the operation next week."

Mahmood managed only 12 overs as Lancashire drew with Sussex at Hove on Saturday and has been sent for surgery on Tuesday.
Lancashire's inability to force a win against the defending county champions leaves them off the pace in seventh place in the Division One table.

Watkinson's side remain 6.2 fourth favourites in Betfair's LV County Championship market behind great rivals Yorkshire (3.2) who saw Warwickshire (5.6) miss their opportunity to go top after failing to force a win over second favourites Hampshire (5.2) on Saturday.

Lancashire have informed England that Mahmood is probably out of contention for the one-day international squad for the three-match Natwest Series against West Indies in July, according to Watkinson.

"England are aware of the situation," he confirmed. "It will take five to six weeks before we can expect to have him back on a cricket field."

Mahmood appeared in six of England's World Cup matches, taking eight wickets, but has not played in the current Test series.
England's pace-bowling resources were already stretched with Andrew Flintoff, Matthew Hoggard and Stuart Broad on the sidelines.
Check Betfair for Natwest Series markets ahead of the first one-day clash on July 1.