Nitin Patel replaces Paul Close as India physio

With three days to go for the World Cup, Dr. Nitin Patel has been named as the physio of India's national side, replacing Paul Close, who was appointed as the physio ahead of New Zealand's tour of India late last year.

Patel has worked with the Indian team since 2007 and, interestingly, Close had taken his place when he was sent to the National Cricket Academy. On both occasions, the BCCI failed to give clear reasons for the change, though one of the team insiders said that the players were unhappy with Close's approach to treating injuries. India have endured several injuries in the recent past, with the list including key players Virender Sehwag, Sachin Tendulkar, Zaheer Khan, Gautam Gambhir and Praveen Kumar, the last of whom will miss the World Cup.