Kabir Ali out ruled out for six weeks

Worcestershire's difficult start to the season gets no better with the news that opening bowler Kabir Ali has been ruled out for six weeks.

It has been a troubled couple of weeks for the club who have lost their opening two Championship games heavily after being promoted last summer and suffered another injury blow to Simon Jones who is out until at least June.

Ali picked up his injury against Hampshire in the Friends Provident Trophy, at The Rose Bowl, and it leaves Worcestershire's pace-bowling resources looking thin despite the arrival of Ashley Noffke as their overseas player.

However, Steve Rhodes, the director of cricket, was trying to look on the bright side. "The results are actually better than we expected but Kabir has got a small tear in his left hamstring," he told the Press Association. "It is likely to keep him out of action for four to six weeks.

"That should hopefully mean that for the second half of the season, we will have both Kabir and Simon Jones fresh and raring to go."