Jones injury fears allayed

11:16am Wednesday 20th August 2008

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WORCESTERSHIRE director of cricket Steve Rhodes has insisted England paceman Simon Jones’ latest knee setback is not a long-term concern.

Jones has taken 42 championship wickets at an average of just 18.02 apiece to top the bowling averages for the Royals this season after making the winter move from Glamorgan.

He has played a major part in spearheading the county’s push for promotion from Division Two of the LV County Championship and earned a recall to the initial England squad of 30 for next month’s Champions Trophy in Pakistan.

But Jones, one of England’s Ashes heroes of 2005, will undergo an arthroscopy during the next few days after suffering cartilage damage.

Former England wicket-keeper Rhodes said: “It is a wear-and-tear injury and is a result of a career as an impact fast bowler. It (the arthroscopy) is just a service really and I am confident he will be fine in the long term.

“Simon is a bit down. He is sick to the back teeth with injury problems and he is disappointed not to reach some of the targets he has set himself, such as 50 championship wickets this season.

“But he has done marvellously for us. He has given our attack something it didn’t have. He’s been an aggressive, impact bowler and I’ve been delighted with him.

“He’s made the England selectors notice him and to make the initial squad for the Champions Trophy was a fantastic effort.

“The goal was to get him through to the end of the season, and we almost got there, but if you had asked me at the start of the season, I’d have settled for what we’ve had from Simon during the past four months.”