Injured Haddin can be ruled out of Ashes

LONDON - Injured Australian wicket-keeper Brad Haddin faces the danger of missing the rest of the ongoing Ashes series due to a fractured finger.

Haddin was injured moments before the start of third Test at Edgbaston Thursday and in almost the same spot where Glenn McGrath fatefully sprained his ankle by tripping on a cricket ball during the warm-up for the corresponding game four years ago.

Coach Tim Nielsen said Haddin was in doubt for at least the fourth Test at Leeds, which starts next week, and the team is awaiting more information on the gloveman’s prognosis from a specialist in Australia.

“He was catching the fast bowlers at the end of the warm up. Knowing we were batting, he stayed out to catch a few extra balls, one dipped a bit and hit him on the end of the left ring finger and hes got a fracture in the last part of his finger,” Nielsen was quoted as saying in the media.

“Well send the pictures off to Australia tonight. When the doc had a look, it was unstable, a real risk that if he played it was broken worse. Wed have to be careful looking at the fourth Test, but we dont know.

Haddin, who played his maiden series against the West Indies with a cracked finger, was keen to take his place in the team but was told he would need regular injections and risked a more serious injury.

“We were concerned if he was going to play he would have had to have it injected pretty much every session because it was a pretty significant crack.

“The other issue is its a fracture at the moment, so healing will be better than if its totally broken off. He could have made it worse if he kept. Its hard to go starting a game knowing youre going to get it shot up every two hours,” Nielsen said.

Haddin’s injury gave reserve keeper Graham Manou an unexpected debut.

There was no time for captain Ricky Ponting to present Manou with his Baggy Green cap after he was confirmed as Australias 411th Test player. The ceremony will be held before play starts on day two with Australia.