England Pace Pair on Mend But Oval Test Comes Too Soon

Steve Harmison and Matthew Hoggard are both expected to be bowling again within the next two weeks, but not soon enough to add to England's pace options for the third Test against India at The Oval.

Harmison eased into a Durham net session yesterday for the first time since his hernia operation last month, initially bowling off a two-pace run-up but building up to eight paces. He hopes to play in the championship game that starts on Monday week against Surrey at the Riverside to prove his fitness for the county's attempt to win their first trophy in the Friends Provident Trophy final against Hampshire on August 18.

Hoggard is closer to returning from the back spasm that forced him to withdraw from the first Test against India at Lord's two weeks ago, with the Yorkshire physio-therapist, Scott McAllister, revealing he could play in a Bradford League match this weekend.

However, he has been unable to bowl at full pace and has ruled himself out of next week's Oval Test, hoping instead to play in the Roses match at Headingley, which also starts on Thursday. "Matthew has been mostly coming in off a short run and will only step things up over the next few days," McAllister said. "If everything goes to plan, he will play league cricket on Saturday and then for Yorkshire against Lancashire next week."

Hoggard's absence for a fifth Test out of seven this summer means England will be expected to retain the seam attack of Ryan Sidebottom, James Anderson and Chris Tremlett that has performed well in the first two Tests against India, albeit without luck at Trent Bridge.

The Pakistan Cricket Board will not allow either current or former players involved with the board to play in the unofficial Indian Cricket League. "The ICL is not recognised by the International Cricket Council or its member boards so there is no question of our players going to play," the PCB chairman Nasim Ashraf said.

Sources close to some of the players said Shoaib Akhtar, Shahid Afridi and Shoaib Malik had received offers days after the former captain Inzamam-ul-Haq confirmed he had been approached by the ICL, which has signed the former West Indies captain Brian Lara for the Twenty20 series to be played from in October.

Ashraf said any player who chose to play in the league would not be selected again for Pakistan. "We have clauses in our central contracts clearly outlining the board decides where the players can play," he said. "Where former players are concerned if they are not holding any position with the board, we can't stop them. But those who are working for us will not be given permission to play."

India's cricket board has also refused to endorse the league.