By Nick Mulvenney ADELAIDE (Reuters) - England are likely to test three seamers at this week's tour match in Melbourne following the "devastating" loss of injured paceman Stuart Broad for the rest of the Ashes, captain Andrew Strauss said. Broad was ruled out with a torn abdominal muscle shortly before England clinched a thumping innings and 71-run victory over Australia in the second test in Adelaide on Tuesday to take a 1-0 lead in the five-test series. Despite the breakthrough win, the loss of Broad is a blow to England's hopes of winning an Ashes series on Australian soil for the first time in 24 years and has placed selectors in a bind ahead of the third test in Perth next week. "He's distraught and we're distraught that he's going to be leaving us because he's a big part of our team both on and off the field," Strauss told reporters. "He's been one of the mainstays of our bowling attack for quite a while now and he's got all the ingredients to bowl well in Australia. We're devastated for him." Selectors would consider Chris Tremlett, Tim Bresnan or Ajmal Shahzad to play at Perth's WACA ground, where fast bowlers traditionally prosper on fast, bouncy tracks. England head to Melbourne this week for a three-day tour match against state side Victoria at the Melbourne Cricket Ground starting Friday. "The likelihood is all three of them will play in Melbourne and we'll see which one of them is the most potent and the most suited for Perth," said Strauss. "What happens in Melbourne will have some effect but we've got to think which bowler is likely to take wickets in Perth." Broad, who played a key role in England winning the Ashes on home soil last year, would return to England and was expected to recover in time for the one-day World Cup in Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and India starting in February, England's medical officer Nick Peirce said in a statement. Broad said having his tour cut short was "devastating". "So far the series has been everything I had anticipated and knowing I'll play no further part is quite hard to take," he added. "Injuries happen and there's nothing I can do about it other than make sure I get stuck into rehabilitation and come back stronger in time for the World Cup next year." (Additional reporting by Ian Ransom; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
Comments
0 comment