India seamer sidelined for at least five weeks by fractured rib
Praveen Kumar will miss the Test leg tour of India's tour of Australia after a scan revealed he has a fractured rib.
Seam bowler Kumar, 25, will need at least five weeks to recover, ruling him out of the remainder of his country's one-day international series against West Indies and the four Tests in Australia during December and January.
"Praveen Kumar underwent a scan yesterday (November 28) evening, and was found to have a fractured rib, as per the report that came through today," read a statement from BCCI honorary secretary Sanjay Jagdale.
"He is expected to recover in 5-6 weeks, and has therefore been ruled out of the ODI series against the West Indies, as well as the Test series in Australia that follows.
Replacement
"His replacement for the Australia tour will be named on 5 December 2011, when the selectors meet in Ahmedabad to pick the Indian team for the last two ODIs against the West Indies."
Kumar was part of a 16-man squad for the Test series in Australia, with veteran paceman Zaheer Khan named as a 17th member if he can prove his fitness in domestic cricket after ankle and hamstring surgeries.
Ishant Sharma and the inexperienced duo of Umesh Yadav and Varun Aaron were the only other seamers included.
