Harmison flies home for tests on injured back

Up one minute, down the next: Stephen Harmison misses out at Chittagong © Getty Images

Stephen Harmison will fly home later today to undergo tests to determine the extent of the back injury which kept him out of the second Test at Chittagong. Harmison, who collected match figures of 9 for 79 in England's seven-wicket win in the first Test at Dhaka, has suffered a recurrence of a lower-back injury that prevented him from training with the squad on Monday.

Harmison told Sky Sports: "It is really disappointing for me after the way I bowled in the first Test, but playing in that match made me realise how hard it is to bowl with only two seamers, and I knew it wouldn't be fair to either Michael Vaughan or the team that I played when I was only half-fit."

He went on: "I'm not worried about Sri Lanka at this stage. I am sure after a couple of weeks' rest I will be all right - I am used to the heat now and I have acclimatised so it shouldn't take me long to get back into it again."

Read in App

Elevate your reading experience on ESPNcricinfo App.

Download App Now