Raina eyes stint in England

Passed over for selection to India's squad for the Twenty20 World Championship squad, middle-order batsman Suresh Raina is eyeing a stint in the English leagues to work his way back into the team. Raina said he had recovered from a knee ligament injury and needed more match practice to convince the selection committee about his form and fitness.

"I am in talks with some clubs and a final decision will be made in a couple of days," Raina told the Indian Express. "I am fit now but I need more match practice before I finally get back to the international arena."

Dropped after a poor one-day series in South Africa last year, Raina's comeback bid was hampered when he suffered the knee injury, during a Deodhar Trophy match in February. He played his first competitive match, scoring 40, for Air India against the Hyderabad Cricket Association in the KSCA Invitational Tournament on August 6.

John Gloster, the Indian team physio who saw Raina through his rehabilitation process, said that he needed another 4-6 weeks to get his form back.

"It was a tough time for me but my family supported me," Raina said. "For the past five months, I have been practicing hard. As a result, my fielding has improved."

Raina is expected to leave for England on August 16. His next target would be the seven-match home one-dayers against Australia in October.