Announcement of England Test squad delayed

The England selectors have delayed announcing their squad for the first npower Test against India, which starts at Lord's in a week's time.

The squad was due to be revealed this morning, but due to injury concerns it will not now be announced until Saturday. Both Marcus Trescothick and Andrew Caddick are unavailable due to injury.

Trescothick may miss the whole series after suffering a multiple fracture of his thumb. The Somerset opener twice visited hospital yesterday to have the injury assessed, and will have his broken bones realigned once specialists representing his county and his country have decided what course of action should be taken.

Trescothick injured his left thumb when he was hit by a fierce drive from Graeme Hick while fielding for Somerset in their Cheltenham & Gloucester Trophy quarter-final victory over Worcestershire at Taunton.

As he left the County Ground last night, he said: "The x-rays showed there were a few cracks in my thumb. If it is plastered it will be in the cast for a couple of weeks at least - and then it is a case of waiting and hoping.

"It is always a shock to get an injury at any time, but with the Test series coming up obviously it is even worse. The ball hit me on the end of the thumb, and I saw it was bleeding. But it was not until I got back in the dressing room that I realised I was in real trouble."

England's chairman of selectors, David Graveney, is also awaiting news on fast bowler Alex Tudor, who is struggling with shin splints.

"We are aware that he has got a bit of a problem and it is one that needs to settle down," Graveney said.

"He has been involved in the one-day squad and all the boys that were involved in that are pretty tired. We may name him in the squad while also including someone else to cover his position."

Tudor's Surrey colleague Mark Butcher has yet to play any competitive cricket following knee surgery, while Darren Gough has played only one-day cricket since returning from his knee injury.

Both Gough and Butcher will play in the next round of Frizzell County Championship matches, which start tomorrow.

Meanwhile India are refusing to derive any satisfaction from Trescothick's injury, having already suffered a setback of their own with 20-year-old Yuvraj Singh returning home for treatment on a chipped bone in a finger.

"We are sorry about what has happened to Trescothick," said Amrit Mathur, the Indian team's communications manager.

"It is a bad thing to happen when he is such a very good player. It is sad that he will miss out because of the injury. We are also disappointed that Yuvraj Singh has had to go back. It is better for the game and the spectators if the best players are playing."