Yorkshire defend Bresnan

Tim Bresnan picked up a back injury against Sri Lanka last summer © Getty Images

Yorkshire have jumped to the defence of their allrounder, Tim Bresnan, after he was omitted from England's 30-man World Cup squad. Since he was left out some reports have suggested it was through his own lack of effort that he didn't reach the required levels of fitness.

"Nothing could be further from the truth," Stewart Regan, Yorkshire's chief executive, told the club website. "These suggestions have been very upsetting for Tim, who at the moment is training and working very hard on his fitness at the National Cricket Centre at Loughborough."

Regan explained Bresnan's problems started after his debut series, against Sri Lanka, last June and continued through the summer. "Tim suffered a back injury following his selection by England...and he was out of action until Yorkshire's final Championship match of the season against Durham.

"Since then he has undergone physiotherapy, and the injury has now almost corrected itself. He is in no pain whatsoever. Nobody could have worked harder on his fitness than Tim, and I am told by our coaching staff that he is mentally and physically strong, and looking fitter than ever."

Bresnan is currently part way through a training stint at Loughborough and will then spend two weeks at the Dennis Lillee Cricket School in Chennai in preparation for the England A tour of Bangladesh in February.