Mullally withdraws from Headingley test
Hampshire's Alan Mullally included in Test squad for first time this summer
Kate Laven
15-Aug-2000
Hampshire's Alan Mullally included in Test squad for first time this summer. Photo © AllSport |
Alan Mullally has been withdrawn from the England Test squad for Headingley
after he pulled a thigh muscle last week while playing for Hampshire.
Selected last Sunday to play in the fourth Cornhill Insurance Test match
against West Indies at Leeds, Mullally, who is in the form of his life with
23 championship wickets from two matches, was pulled out earlier today after
a call to England's management by the Hampshire physiotherapist David
Newman.
"He has bowled 160 overs in a week for Hampshire and they considered he was
not fit enough to be considered," said David Graveney, England's chairman of
selectors.
"It is disappointing for him more than anyone else but it is one of those
things."
Selectors will meet tonight to decide whether they need to replace Mullally
but with Yorkshire's Matthew Hoggard already in the squad and with a stated
policy to play seven batsmen and four seamers, it is unlikely a substitute
will be sought.
"We wanted Alan here as an option but after looking at the wicket it is
probably unlikely he would have played.
"As for Hoggard, we will decide nearer the time. He will be playing in front
of his home crowd and he has taken a lot of wickets here so we would not
have any problems if he had to play," Graveney said.