English management hit with fresh criticism

London: The England management faced fresh criticism after it emerged that a second fast bowler, Surrey's Chris Tremlett, was injured during the recent boot camp in Bavaria.

England's cricketers leave for Australia tomorrow to defend the Ashes, but Tremlett had to put on hold his preparations for the biggest tour of his career after bruising his ribs in a boxing match.

Ironically, it was Tremlett, 29, whose own pugilistic skills inflicted a more serious rib injury on team-mate Jimmy Anderson on the five-day bonding trip to south Germany, an incident which left coach Andy Flower answering awkward questions about the wisdom of holding the exercise so close to the Ashes.

Defence

Privately exasperated by the criticism, Flower has since defended the trip, arguing that Anderson will be fit for the first Test, which starts at Brisbane on November 25.

But Tremlett is understood to have been frustrated at missing vital preparation time as he seeks to re-establish himself as an England cricketer more than two years after his last appearance. It is not known if he was injured in his bout with Anderson.

Tremlett will be fit for the five-Test series, but a friend of the seamer said: "It's just another unnecessary side issue before the Ashes. He got a whack and he'll be fine. But body impact so close to a big series seems a risk."

The news emerged after Shaun Udal, the former England off-spinner who played with Tremlett at Hampshire, revealed: "I've spoken to Chris and he has some bruising to his ribs. Hopefully he will be OK but it's set his preparations back about three weeks."

A representative of Tremlett said: "There's nothing at all to be worried about. Chris is raring to go and 100 per cent ready."

Flower, who has hardly put a foot wrong as coach in 18 successful months in which England have regained the Ashes, lifted the World Twenty20 and won five one-day series in a row, scheduled the Bavarian trip so possible injuries would be out of the way by the time they faced Australia.