Brian Rose has announced that Ian has sustained a "SLAPlieson (?)" injury to his shoulder and will require surgery to put the damage right.  He had an MRI scan yesterday and the medical prognosis is that he will take no part in any 'throwing' related activity for around 4 months (rehabilitation) and will then need another month of training to test the success of the operation.  That takes him to October and therefore out of the reckoning for anything here or with England for this summer.  Real real bad news for him, bad news for our international one day squad and a possible killer to our own season!!

Coupled with the fact that we lose Dan Cullen on the 24th of June,when he returns to Australian A colours and then goes on a training camp until early September, it means we are two players down for the whole of July and August.  This has made Brian Rose re-assess the county's policy towards replacing Cullen and so we are now actively following a policy of getting an international replacement for the young star. What we can get in three weeks remains to be seen and we can only have him for the time that DC would not be with us, there is some confusion about the period between the A tour ending and the training camp beginning - some 14 days.  Theoretically, Cullen could return but he won't.

It is also expected that the other members of the team will step into the massive breech left by the captain's injury - Wes Durston's chances are massively improved by this news although I expect it isn't the way he wanted to be considered! 

The captaincy itself is also an issue now.  This was always seen as an 'apprentice' season for the VC Matt Wood and he will remain in that position as Cameron White who has Australian provincial experience with Victoria takes over the skipper's role for the rest of the season.

Well he wasn't smiling today!!  "...the most complicated start to a season I've had.."

This is not the best news we've had in what Rose described as "...the most complicated start to a season I've had".  We can only wish Ian the best of British in getting himself back to playing levels and wait to see what unfolds over the next few days.  A new captain, new players and a star on the sidelines and it isn't even the end of May. Well you have to admit, it isn't boring!!

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