ICC Twenty20 World Cup News

Brett Lee's hopes of making an international comeback have been dashed by a muscle strain in his right forearm that will force him out of the ICC World Twenty20. Lee suffered the problem during Australia's one-run warm-up loss to Zimbabwe and the team has requested a replacement player, likely to be either Doug Bollinger or Ryan Harris.

The injury is a major blow for Lee, who has not played for his country since October and was making his return from elbow surgery. Lee felt pain after taking 1 for 13 in four overs and later had MRI scans, and a team spokesman said the strain was unrelated to his elbow trouble.

"It's a muscle strain," the team spokesman told AAP. "We have gone to the ICC Technical Committee to ask for a replacement player."

India opener Virender Sehwag has suffered a shoulder injury, which has ruled him out of the ICC World Twenty20 beginning in the West Indies on April 30. Sehwag has been advised rest for three to four weeks, and has been replaced by Tamil Nadu batsman M Vijay in the 15-man squad, the BCCI said in a statement.

The BCCI statement, however, did not mention how or when Sehwag sustained the injury. Sehwag played all 14 IPL league matches for Delhi Daredevils, scoring 356 runs at an average of 25, his last appearance being on April 18. He was deemed fit when included in the World Twenty20 squad so it's likely the injury occurred during Delhi's IPL campaign.

Jerome Taylor and Ramnaresh Sarwan are back in the West Indies squad for the World Twenty20, having recovered from injury, while Wavell Hinds has been recalled after being dropped for the recent series against Zimbabwe.

Both Taylor and Sarwan have been out of action since the Test series in Australia late last year. Taylor pulled up with a hip injury during the first match in Brisbane, and Sarwan has struggled with a back problem since the end of the series and wasn't risked against Zimbabwe last month.

West Indies ended a barren run of form with their 4-1 one-day series against Zimbabwe, but suffered an embarrassing start to that tour with defeats in Trinidad in a T20 international and the first ODI at Providence - the venue for both their group matches against England and Ireland - in Guyana.

Could the sheer intensity of IPL games derail India's World T20 prospects? Given the spate of injuries to players who are expected to play a key role in the West Indies starting from April 30 - New Zealand play Sri Lanka at Providence just five days after the IPL final - it might finally be time for some cricketers to take a call on how best to preserve their energies.

The latest to join the bandwagon is Delhi Daredevils skipper and India opener Gautam Gambhir, who strained his hamstring while fielding against Mumbai Indians on Wednesday and might be out for some time. Gambhir played a central role in India's victory in South Africa in the inaugural edition of the World T20 and the injury has come at a critical time. The team's worries, though, might just begin there.

Young Karnataka batsman Manish Pandey and his fast bowling teammate R Vinay Kumar were among the three new faces named in India's 30-member list of probables for the Twenty20 World Cup to be held in the West Indies in April-May this year.

Madhya Pradesh wicketkeeper-batsman Naman Ojha, who also had a successful domestic season, was the other new face in the list announced by BCCI secretary N Srinivasan after a meeting of the selection committee.

Twenty20 might be a massive hit with the fans but former Australia captain Steve Waugh feels Tests will always remain a cricketer's first priority and both the versions need each other's support to survive and flourish.

"It doesn't have to be one or the other. These guys out here now, they love playing Test cricket. It's the ultimate test for them mentally, physically, technically. That's why you train, and that's why you take up the game.

"But the other game (Twenty20) is exciting and it's a money-making arm of the game, commercially it's successful.