England to Take a Gamble on Kirtley

James Kirtley, the Sussex pace bowler, is expected to replace Darren Gough in England's squad for the ICC Champions Trophy in Sri Lanka next month. He gets his chance because of doubts over the future of the Yorkshireman, whose persistent knee injury has failed to respond sufficiently to treatment.

Kirtley has played seven one-day internationals, three in Zimbabwe last winter and four during this summer's tri-nation series. His record is modest, however, with only six wickets at 50.83 apiece and runs conceded at a rate of more than five an over. He has never bettered the figures of two for 33 on his debut in Harare.

At times this summer, however, he has produced some willing overs at the end of the innings, with his control of the yorker evident. His fielding, too, can be better than the norm of fast bowlers, and his one-handed catch on the boundary at Lord's to dismiss India's captain Sourav Ganguly ranks as one of the finest ever.

In a global competition such as the Champions Trophy his action is sure to come under scrutiny once more. During his time in Zimbabwe he was reported as having an unsatisfactory action, with hyperextension of his right elbow cited as the cause.

This in itself is legal so long as no attempt is made to straighten the arm from there. After work with the bowling coach Bob Cottam last winter to try to iron out the kink, he was deemed clean by the England and Wales Cricket Board. But an offending bowler is only as clean as his last delivery, and there is a suspicion that when he is searching for the "effort" ball he reverts to type.

It became something of an issue during the summer when the action of the Sri Lanka bowler Ruchira Perera was reported to the ICC but not that of Kirtley.

Durham's all-rounder Paul Collingwood, an integral part of England's one-day plans, will not have surgery next week after responding well to treatment for a neck injury.

Collingwood was due to have an operation on a disc bulge at the bottom of his neck, which is causing problems in his left arm. But medication appears to be working and surgery has been postponed pending reassessment by a specialist in a week's time.