MacGill fears knee will impede Ashes hopes

Stuart MacGill, who picked up a knee injury during Australia's five-day boot camp in the Queensland bush recently, feels the problem may interfere in his Ashes preparations. MacGill has resumed training for New South Wales after missing the first state practice session, but by his own admission, was more than concerned about an "avoidable" incident at the age of 35.

"I'm going to have things go wrong with me this summer, that's for sure," MacGill was quoted as saying in the Sydney Morning Herald. "I don't really need to go into a season already carrying something that was probably avoidable.The camp was designed with certain objectives in mind and I'd say those objectives were achieved. I just think we probably could have achieved those goals in a different format."

Having recently recuperated from surgery to his right knee, MacGill conceded that the latest injury left him quite sore. With the Ashes around the corner, MacGill hoped he would fully recover to be a part of Australia's attempt to win the urn back. "Unfortunately the timing has not been great," he said. "I am going to ease my way into things, and my intention is to be bowling at my peak and being ready to go when the NSW season starts in four or five weeks. Unfortunately, I'm going to have to take it a little bit slower than I had hoped to at this point."

Ricky Ponting has publicly said once more that England are very susceptible to wrist spin, and MacGill - with 39 wickets in six Tests against them - refused to shirk away from his predicament. "Now is not a time for me to be stepping out of the game because I'm sore. I can't really afford that in my career. I'm 35, and every day I'm out of the game is shortening my career. I can't have that. If I'm ever omitted from the team and a second spinner is picked, I want it to be because they are better than me."