Injured Praveen out of Australia Tests

Praveen Kumar, the India medium-pacer, has been ruled out of the on-going ODI series against West Indies as well as the Tests in Australia starting next month because of a fractured rib. Praveen had a scan on Monday which revealed the fracture, and is expected to be out for five to six weeks. A replacement will be named for the Tests in Australia on December 5.

The Indian selectors, who had meetings on consecutive days last week to pick squads for the ODIs against West Indies and the Test leg of the Australia tour, had included Praveen for both the series. But in an interesting twist of events Sanjay Jagdale, the BCCI secretary, informed Kris Srikkanth, the chairman of selectors, on Sunday afternoon that Praveen had suffered from a 'blunt chest'. Karnataka fast bowlerAbhimanyu Mithun was immediately appointed as a replacement.

According to the original BCCI media release sent on Monday evening, Praveen had been ruled out for the first three ODIs of the West Indies series. This came after Virender Sehwag, the stand-in Indian captain for the first three matches, had said on the eve of the Cuttack ODI that Praveen would be available for the second match as he was suffering from "a niggle".

It is understood that the selectors had no clue about Praveen's original injury when they had drafted his name in the squads for the two squads. "On the day of the selection if there is no adverse fitness report then you assume they are fit. If you have not reported you are unfit you are assumed to be fit," a BCCI official informed ESPNcricinfo. According to him the turn of events in Praveen's case caught the selection committee completely by surprise. "The selectors only came to know a day after the Mumbai Test (which ended three days ago)," the official pointed out.

This is the second time this year Praveen has had the misfortune of missing out on a crucial series. Earlier this year a tennis elbow injury ruined his chances of participating in the World Cup. Though he picked anankle injury at the back end of the England tour, he was India's best bowler in the four-Test Pataudi Trophy. The elbow injury troubled him again after the Twenty20 match against England in Kolkata in late October. Consequently Praveen asked the Indian board for a two-week rest. He did play in a Ranji Trophy league match for Uttar Pradesh against Saurashtra in Meerut earlier this month to show his fitness. © ESPN EMEA Ltd.