Bopara injured in off-road accident

Ravi Bopara, the England allrounder, was today hurt in a car crash while on a demonstration of off-road driving.

Bopara, who is due to travel with the England party for next month's Test series in Sri Lanka, was shaken and suffered a cut to an arm after his 4x4 vehicle overturned on farmland near the Brands Hatch circuit in Kent.

Bopara and his Essex team-mate, Alastair Cook, were guests of Volkswagen who sponsor the England team's vehicles.

An ambulance was called to the farm after Bopara, who was under supervision by an experienced demonstrator driver, lost control. There was another passenger, but it is understood no one was seriously injured.

"I usually get worse cuts and bruises diving around the outfield," Bopara said. "I'm not sure how it happened. We were bombing it down a hill and hit a bump at the end. But they are such good cars we hardly felt a thing."

The ECB says it will not stop such sponsor's events. A spokesman told The Guardian : "There is no plan to review the promotion work of our players. This event was organised through the PCA and we are happy for that to continue."

The PCA oversees commercial activity for England players. It will not stop members taking part, either, although there will be a review over the crash. A spokesman said: "We are confident that it is a one-off."