Williams out of Zimbabwe tour

Brad Williams is hopeful that a back injury which has cut short his Zimbabwe tour after only five overs is not a recurrence of the more sinister stress fractures that plagued his early years.

Williams felt a pain "like somebody jabbed with a needle" during his first over of the opening one-dayer in Harare. He struggled on for five overs before leaving the field and will arrive home tomorrow.

"In my last over I was really gritting my teeth," he said. "It felt very similar to when I was a youngster and I had stress fractures. But it would be very unusual at my age to have stress fractures."

Alex Kontouri, the team physiotherapist, has recommended that Williams return home for diagnostic scans. "Brad is experiencing significant pain in his lower back and there simply isn't enough time remaining on this tour to investigate the problem fully," said Kontouri. "With his history of back problems, we felt it would be wise to send him back to Australia rather than stay in Zimbabwe when there are just a few days of the tour remaining.

"He was treated for back pain earlier in the tour, but after rest and treatment following the tour match the condition improved. That the pain has flared up again is a concern."

Williams was downbeat but philosophical. "It's disappointing because we have been waiting so long to begin this tour," he said. "Basically I've been here for two weeks, bowled just five overs in match conditions, and now this happens. It's a real let down. By going home early hopefully I can get the problem solved, making sure that I'm fit and available for selection against Sri Lanka next month."

With Glenn McGrath returning after 10 months on the sidelines, Shane Watson also on the comeback trail and Williams striving to make himself a team regular, the injury couldn't have come at a worse time. No replacement will be sent over, with Watson, Ian Harvey and Brad Hogg all in contention to get a run in these evening's second match.