Ramprakash's recall cut short

Sanjay Suri
India Abroad correspondent in London

Mark Ramprakash recalled to the England Test team after a year in wilderness has had to pull out after suffering a hamstring injury Monday.

Ramprakash was injured while batting for Surrey Sunday. The injury keeps Mark Ramprakash on track as England’s most promising Test batsman who has never quite performed in Tests.

Ramprakash is definitely out of the first Test against Australia beginning Edgbaston. Ramprakash is likely to be replaced now by Owais Shah who is of Pakistani origin. Owais was Ramprakash’s team-mate earlier with Middlesex.

Ramprakash had himself been called up to replace his injured Surrey captain Graham Thorpe. Ramprakash is expected to be out of action for about 10 days.

England go into the Ashes with a series of injuries - not uncharacteristically. Michael Vaughan is doubtful for the first Test. There are also doubts about the fitness of spinner Ashley Giles and all-rounder Craig White.

The first Test of the Ashes series begins Thursday this week.