Kasprowicz injury hampers Bulls

Michael Kasprowicz has been forced out of Queensland's matches against Western Australia this week with a groin strain. He will miss the Pura Cup match starting on Friday and the FR Cup game next Wednesday.

Chris Swan replaces him in the 13-man Pura Cup squad and Scott Brant comes in for the one-dayer. Kasprowicz picked up the injury during the last day of Queensland's three-day tour match against Sri Lanka and scans revealed the extent of the injury. He had only just returned from a calf strain for that game, and bowled only nine balls all last season because of a different injury.

"It's frustrating - I can't deny that,'' he said. "The positive for me is that it is in a completely different spot to the injury I had last year that kept me out for most of the year and I have been told it is definitely minor in nature. But it's very disappointing nonetheless, especially after feeling so good at the bowling crease against Sri Lanka."

The absence of Kasprowicz, who took 2 for 28 and 3 for 29 in the tour match, gave Swan his second first class call-up of the season, following the opening match against Tasmania at the Gabba. Swan will vie with the fast bowler Grant Sullivan for a spot in the final line-up.

Queensland are, at least, boosted by the return of Martin Love and James Hopes. Love, their leading run scorer, will be making his first appearance after having a knee reconstruction in January, while Hopes should be back from a hamstring injury.

Western Australia made three changes to the team which defeated Victoria by 288 runs at the MCG. Michael Hussey and Adam Gilchrist are on Test duty, while the allrounder Sean Ervine misses out. Chris Rogers, Luke Ronchi and David Bandy will replace them.

Rogers returns following an appendix operation three weeks ago. He played two club matches for South Perth last weekend, scoring 92 against Rockingham-Mandurah and 93 against Gosnells. Bandy has fully recovered from an abdominal strain that kept him out of the trip to Melbourne, while Ronchi returns in place of Gilchrist.

Western Australia Pura Cup squad Chris Rogers, Justin Langer, Adam Voges (capt), Shaun Marsh, Luke Pomersbach, Luke Ronchi, Brad Hogg, David Bandy, Trent Kelly, Mathew Inness, Steve Magoffin, Darren Wates.

Queensland Pura Cup squad Jimmy Maher (capt), Ryan Broad, Martin Love, Clinton Perren, Chris Simpson, James Hopes, Aaron Nye, Andy Bichel, Ashley Noffke, Chris Hartley (wk), Daniel Doran, Grant Sullivan, Chris Swan.

Queensland FR Cup squad Jimmy Maher (capt), Ryan Broad, Clinton Perren, Chris Simpson, James Hopes, Aaron Nye, Ashley Noffke, Chris Hartley, Craig Philipson, Nathan Reardon, Daniel Doran, Grant Sullivan, Chris Swan.