Cricket: Allott's Indian tour hopes over

WELLINGTON - Injured strike bowler Geoff Allott's hopes of joining the tail end of the New Zealand cricket tour of India have been dashed following his slower-than-predicted recovery from a back injury.

The Canterbury left-armer, who jointly holds the record for number of victims snared at a World Cup, was hoping to be included in the New Zealand squad who will play five one-day internationals when the three-test series in India ends.

However, New Zealand Cricket has confirmed that Allott is not expected to be back bowling competitively until mid-November. That rules him out of contention for the squad of one-day specialists to be named next week to head to the subcontinent.

Allott suffered a stress fracture in his back during the last county game of this year's tour of England, ruling him out of the historic fourth-test win which sealed a 2-1 series win.

It was a disappointing end to Allott's tour, which started sensationally when he took 20 wickets as the Black Caps made the semifinals of the World Cup.

Allott and fellow quick bowlers Simon Doull and Chris Cairns visited specialists when the team returned from England in August, but only Cairns recovered sufficiently to make the Indian tour.

Allott's injury also means he will be ineligible to take part in the upcoming tri-series involving teams from the North and South Islands and England A.

NZC spokeswoman Michelle Lewis said Allott's first opportunity to play competitive cricket - and prove his fitness before the visits of the West Indies and Australia this summer - would be in the England A-New Zealand A series which starts with a five-day "test" in Christchurch on November 28.

Another five-day match will be played in Palmerston North, before three one-dayers, one in Napier and two in Auckland.

Allott had been in regular contact with NZC's medical panel and its co-ordinator, Gilbert Enoka, decided Allott would need more time to ease himself back. He is undergoing regular physiotherapy and has been working out in the nets at the BIL cricket academy at Lincoln.

Allott's prospects of returning this summer remain rosier than Doull's. He still does not know if he will play cricket again.

Doull, New Zealand's most potent bowling force in recent seasons, is still in limbo since returning home part way through the England tour with a serious knee injury. - NZPA