KABIR Ali has been forced to play a waiting game over whether he will be able to play again this season.

The Worcestershire seamer saw specialists about his back injury in Birmingham on Wednesday with the country’s leading wicket-taker expecting to hear some news the following day.

Yet last night the England Lion was still waiting to discover the extent of his injury.

“We just can’t get hold of the doctor at the moment,” Kabir said. “On Thursday my back was fine but yesterday it was stiff again.

“We are in two-minds whether to risk me and play on, but it is just a case of waiting.”

With Simon Jones out for the campaign, losing Kabir for the rest of the season would be a massive blow for the New Road club’s LVCC Division Two promotion aspirations.

Yet while anxious to find out the news of his front-line seamer, director of cricket Steve Rhodes is remaining philosophical about the wait.

“It’s just one of those things,” he said. “Obviously we expected to hear something on Thursday and then Friday.

“But I’m amazed that we haven’t heard anything.”

Kabir pulled out of the third day of last week’s Champion-ship game at Essex where Worcestershire recorded a remarkable six-wicket victory as his back seized up for the second time this month.

The 28-year-old was forced to miss the Derbyshire match at the beginning of August due to back problems and, after one game with England Lions and one Championship match at Colchester, the problem has re-occurred.

While Rhodes awaits news on Kabir, the New Road chief received a boost from fellow pace bowler Matt Mason after the scan on his pectoral muscle revealed that he would be back before the end of the season.

Tests showed the 34-year-old had a small tear and, while Mason was hoping to be back for Tuesday’s Division Two title clash with Warwickshire, he has now been ruled out of that match.

“We’ll see Matt before the end of the season,” Rhodes said. “He is a key bowler for us, like Simon and Kabir.

“If we can get one or even two back on the field before the end of the season then it’s happy days.

“We know Simon won’t make it but it’s fingers crossed regarding Kabir.”

n Former Yorkshire and England off-spinner Richard Dawson has signed a two-year contract with Gloucestershire.

Dawson, released by Northamptonshire last year, joined the county earlier this month.

The 28-year-old said: “I am looking forward to working with such a strong squad.”