Symonds likely to miss opener

Despite recovering from bicep surgery faster than was expected, Australian all-rounder Andrew Symonds is not considered a likely starter for his team’s first match of the World Cup.

It was initially thought that the injury, suffered during this summer’s Commonwealth Bank Series, would keep him out of action until the Super Eight stage of the World Cup. The speed of his recovery has come as a surprise, but it hasn’t been quite fast enough for him to be passed fit for tomorrow’s game, against Scotland at Warner Park. He might play against the Netherlands on Saturday, and is near certain to play in Australia’s most important game of the group stage against South Africa.

Meanwhile, his Queensland team-mate Matthew Hayden is also recovering well from his broken toe and is likely to take his place in the side tomorrow. Hayden, who suffered the injury in his Australian-record 181 not out in the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy series in New Zealand last month, has also made a fast recovery from surgery on the injury and will continue his association at the top of the order with Adam Gilchrist.