Aus pacer McKay out of ICC World Cup reckoning

Melbourne, Jan 13 (PTI) Australia''s fast bowling stockhas taken another significant blow before next month''s WorldCup in the subcontinent with paceman Clint Mckay beingdiagnosed with a stress fracture in his left foot.

With injury to 27-year-old Mckay, the current world No 1side in ODIs will now go to the World Cup without two of itstop three wicket-takers for the past year with other beingRyan Harris, who is nursing a stress fracture in his foot thatemerged during the Boxing Day Test.

The foot soreness McKay felt during Victoria''s Big Bashwin over Queensland on January 3 has been revealed as a stressfracture of the navicular bone in his left foot.

Medical staff decided the moon boot Mckay has beenwearing to aid healing is not sufficient and instead he willhave surgery next week, ruling him out for at least 10 weeks,the ''Sydney Morning Herald'' reported.

Mckay is third in Australia''s one-day wicket takers overthe past year, having taken 27 wickets at an average of 19.59.

Mckay claimed 5-54 in Australia''s last match in Novemberagainst Sri Lanka. Australia''s other paceman Mitchell Starc,who is in the preliminary 30-man squad for the World Cup, hasa side strain that has already kept him out for two months.

Victorian team physiotherapist Thihan Chandramohan saidsurgery was the "conservative option" but believed it was theright one for Mckay.

"(A navicular fracture) can be serious, especially if youtry and play with them when you''re sore. It''s one of the majorreasons we''re trying to fix it before it gets worse," he said.

"Obviously his workload over the past two years has beena lot higher - he''s played for Australia, he''s played somecricket in England as well - but he''s been good consideringthe workload he''s had.

"It''s the first major injury that''s put him out for along period and it''s one that''s hard to prevent because it''sjust related to the bone not handling the load that''s goinginto it," Chandramohan added.

The physiotherapist said the likely recovery period wouldbecome much clearer once Mckay was operated on next week.

"It really depends on what the surgeon does. Our currentplan is based on the scan results, but sometimes it can varydepending on what the surgeon actually does when he''s tryingto fix it. The recovery time is usually between 10 to 15 weeksbut it can be quite variable," he said.

He said Mckay could be match fit for the fourth editionof the Indian Premier League starting early April. He wasbought by Mumbai Indians for USD 111,000.