Hussain, who missed England's Test defeat by Sri Lanka with what was thought to be a groin strain, is actually suffering from a double hernia and, as soon as he was diagnosed on Friday, immediately had surgery in London. Hussain has been told he will be fully fit in four weeks, but will miss the remainder of Essex's season. ``There's certainly no danger of me missing any part of the Ashes tour,'' he said.
JOHN MAJOR and his future daughter-in-law, actress Emma Noble, could team up in an unlikely double act to promote next year's cricket World Cup.
The pair have been targeted to make their first public appearances together in the name of advertising what is likely to be the biggest cricket event this country has seen. They could become the new Odd Couple.
GAVIN Hamilton is awaiting an International Cricket Council verdict on whether his potential career with England can stretch beyond the Super Eights event in Perth next month. Hamilton, in the form of his life for Yorkshire, responded in the positive to an England and Wales Cricket Board inquiry as to whether he wanted to change his mind over declaring his availability for Scotland, the country of his birth, in next year's World Cup.
Now, with Scotland's blessing, he is hoping the ICC decide that an appearance in Scottish colours against Bangladesh in a friendly earlier this season will not count against his U-turn.
BANGLADESH will still stage the Wills International Tournament next month despite the severe flooding and disease which have afflicted the country, particularly around Dhaka, in the last two months. An ICC representative visited Bangladesh last week and was satisfied that the stadium and pitch are fit for the event.
THE BBC were hard-pressed to fill time at Lord's yesterday. So the hunt was on for a suitable celebrity to interview when an ECB official eagerly announced that he had just spotted Geoff Boycott in the pavilion chatting to the great Sir Garfield Sobers.
Off trotted the camera crew only to discover that 'Sobers' was, in fact, the Sunday Telegraph's contributor, Colin Croft. Blushing heavily, the ECB man explained that he had only glimpsed him from the back. Asked if he was flattered to be so mistaken, Croft replied with the firmest of nos, and added: ``I certainly don't stick my backside out like him.''
GLAMORGAN opener Steve James has signed a contract with Glamorgan that ties him to the Welsh county until the end of the 2002 season.
James, who played in England's Test defeat by Sri Lanka last week, joins Adrian Dale, Wayne Law, Andrew Davies, Owen Parkin and Simon Jones in extending their contracts with the county.
Glamorgan are also in discussions with Dean Cosker and Darren Thomas, both of whom are in the England A tour party for Zimbabwe and South Africa this winter and are under contract until the end of next summer.
``We are delighted Steve has made this commitment,'' said Glamorgan secretary Mike Fatkin. ``We already have Robert Croft and Matthew Maynard on longer-term agreements and we are working hard as a club to ensure we are planning properly.''
WARWICKSHIRE scorer Alex Davis, who recorded each of Brian Lara's world-record innings in 1994, is to retire at the end of the season. He was on tour with England when Lara made a Test-best 375 in Antigua and then at his regular post at Edgbaston for the world-beating 501 not out.