MUMBAI: This won’t be music to the ears of the Indian team management, considering that the ODI World Cup in India is now only less than three months away. TOI has learnt that middle-order batter Shreyas Iyer is still not over his back woes and is unlikely to recover in time for the Asia Cup in August-September.
Iyer underwent a back surgery in April in London after missing a fair bit of cricket due to the injury. He wasn’t named in the squads for the West Indies tour in July-August, which were announced on Friday.
“Iyer recently took an injection for his back pain at the BCCI’s National Cricket Academy. His back is still giving him trouble,” a source told this paper.
When he underwent the back operation, Iyer was targeting a return to action from the Asia Cup. That prospect, though, now looks doubtful, as per the source.
ICC to announce World Cup schedule?
Meanwhile, the much-awaited and much-delayed schedule of the ICC ODI World Cup in India in October-November is finally likely to be announced this week in Mumbai. On Saturday, the ICC sent an invite for an ICC World Cup ‘kick-off event,’ which will be here on June 27.
“The ICC may announce the schedule for that event,” said a source.
All the top officials of the ICC and the BCCI are likely to be present at the event.
