Chittagong, Mar 8: England's World Cup campaign suffered another blow today with pacer Stuart Broad ruled out of remainder of the tournament due to a side strain, a day after star batsman Kevin Pietersen was declared unavailable because of a hernia problem.
Broad, who missed the tied match against India due to illness, sustained the injury during England's narrow win over South Africa. He picked up a career-best 4/15 to guide England to a narrow six-run win on Sunday in his first match of the ongoing World Cup.
He was initially in doubt only for Friday's World Cup Group B match against Bangladesh here but the England and Wales Cricket Board said he has been ruled out for the remainder of the tournament after scans confirmed "significant injury".
Seamer Chris Tremlett is expected to replace Broad but the ECB will have to apply to the World Cup technical committee first.
"Broad has been ruled out of the remainder of the World Cup due to a side strain injury suffered during England's six-run win over South Africa on Sunday. Broad suffered the injury while bowling during the second innings and subsequent tests have confirmed the 24-year-old has a side strain that will require him to return to UK for treatment," the ECB said in a statement.
The ECB said Broad will leave Chittagong for home in the next 48 hours for further assessment that will "determine his recovery and rehabilitation timescale".
"Any participation in the forthcoming IPL will be determined according to his rehabilitation timescale established in due course," it said.
The ECB's chief medical officer Nick Peirce said the side strain was a new problem for Broad, who suffered an abdominal injury during the recent Ashes tour of Australia which caused him to miss the last three Tests.
"Stuart felt some discomfort following the South Africa match and our initial assessment indicated a strain to his left side," Peirce said in the ECB statement.
"Subsequent scans have confirmed a significant side strain injury - where the muscle attaches the rib - that will rule him out of the remainder of the World Cup.
"This is a new injury, separate from the abdominal tear suffered during the Ashes, that requires a period of recuperation and rehabilitation and the duration of this recovery period will be determined following further assessment in the UK."
Pietersen has already left for home to undergo a hernia operation and he has been replaced by Eoin Morgan, who joined the England squad here today ahead of Friday's match. PTI
