England's injury blues continue; Mahmood to undergo surgery

London, June 3 (UNI) England's tryst with injury continues after pacer Sajid Mahmood was ruled out for nearly five weeks due to a double hernia operation to be conducted next week.

''He has been having some discomfort since returning from the World Cup. Our medical staff decided we needed to find out the cause, and he will be having the operation next week,'' Lancashire cricket manager Mike Watkinson was quoted as saying by British daily 'The Daily Mail'.

The six-feet right-arm fast bowler, who was England's pace spearhead in the Caribbean World Cup, had been facing injury threats since post mega event.

And now with this surgury it is expected that he will require atleast five to six-week to recover completely.

The 25-year-old will be operated on Tuesday, less than a week after compatriot and county team-mate Andrew Flintoff went through an ankle surgery.

After bowling 27 overs against Sussex in a county match which concluded yesterday, Mahmood started struggling in the field.

However, Watkinson confirmed the operation will have no affect on his rising bowling career.

''England are aware of the situation,'' he said, adding, ''It will take five to six weeks before we can expect to have him back on a cricket field.'' In the wake of the ongoing four-match series against West Indies followed by Twenty20 and one-day fixtures, it came as a bad news for England, considering that Andrew Flintoff, Matthew Hoggard and Stuart Broad are already on the sidelines.

UNI