Injury to Broad puts doubt over Twenty20 inclusion

Broad yesterday suffered a recurrence of the injury, which first required a scan at the start of England’s two-month tour, while he was practising in the Nagpur nets before the final Test against India.

The fast bowler, highly unlikely to play in the fourth Test after losing form mid-series, left practice after obvious discomfort and returned only briefly before heading off for more treatment.

England will be primarily concerned about his fitness for two Twenty20 matches in Pune and Mumbai next Thursday and Saturday.

Eoin Morgan is England’s Twenty20 vice-captain and would be the obvious candidate to lead the team in Broad’s absence.

The selectors may, however, need to replace Broad in an inexperienced 13-man squad which contains only three other specialist seamers.

Broad, who had a scan on his injury during England’s second tour match against the DY Patil Academy in Mumbai last month, went on to play in the first two Tests.

It was thought initially that an update on his injury was likely yesterday, but none was forthcoming and it is now expected today.

The hearing for Danish Kaneria’s appeal against the lifetime ban handed down to him by an England and Wales Cricket Board Disciplinary Panel was adjourned yesterday, with the case expected to resume in the new year.

The adjournment came following legal submissions from both sides in London and a new date for the hearing will be agreed in due course.

Kaneria was given the ban in June for his role in a spot-fixing plot.

The 31-year-old Pakistan leg-spinner was found guilty of “cajoling and pressurising” former Essex team-mate Mervyn Westfield into accepting cash in return for trying to concede a set number of runs in an over during a Pro 40 match in 2009.

Kaneria denies all involvement in the plot and after the hearing in June he immediately indicated his intention to appeal.

The Pakistan Cricket Board said in July that he would be suspended from playing in his home country until the outcome of the appeal was known.