Back injury rules Langer out of Tasmania match

Justin Langer has been affected by a back injury but is expected to return in time for the tour to New Zealand. He was due to play in Western Australia's Pura Cup clash against Tasmania, but pulled out after the injury, which had threatened his appearance for the Boxing Day Test, recurred on Wednesday morning.

Wayne Clark, Western Australia's coach, played down the extent of the injury and said that Langer would consult with the Australian side's medical staff. "He finds it difficult to bend over and we've decided to rest him from this game," Clark said. "Given another day or two he probably would have been fine. He felt a recurrence of it on Wednesday morning and just didn't have enough time to get it right."

Langer's injury could have also affected his chances - remote ones, admittedly - of opening for Australia in the one-dayers. Usually not seen as a one-day player, Langer has been vocal about his exclusion from the ODIs. The poor run that Matthew Hayden, his opening partner in Tests, has suffered in recent times raised the possibility of Langer being tried out.