WHILE Zimbabwe are almost certain to be able to select their XI for Thursday’s first Test from their full squad, the latest injury news from the England camp was not good yesterday. Andrew Flintoff is rated “very doubtful” by Dr Peter Gregory, the ECB’s chief medical officer, Matthew Hoggard’s stomach strain is still giving cause for concern and Mark Butcher managed to twist an ankle during practice at Lord’s. It was the first day he had joined his team-mates since the Test against Australia in Sydney in early January.

Tests carried out on Flintoff last Friday revealed bruising and swelling around the nerves in his right shoulder. The injury, which continues to affect his bowling arm and right hand, prevented him from practising yesterday. Hoggard, who underwent an ultrasound scan that revealed strained abdominal muscles in his left side, batted but did not bowl in England’s indoor net session. His fitness will be reassessed after practice today. Butcher’s injury is not expected to keep him out of the Test, but the fact that it was suffered in a closed practice session — and therefore could have been kept quiet — suggests that there is some anxiety over his condition.

Zimbabwe, meanwhile, did not practice, having played and travelled up from Sussex the night before. They did, however, pay a visit to Lord’s to drop off their kit and familiarise themselves with its surroundings.

Only two of the 15-man party — Heath Streak and Grant Flower — played in the Lord’s Test three years ago, when Zimbabwe were skittled for 83 and 123 to lose by an innings. By a strange coincidence, England, unless Flintoff makes an unexpected recovery, also have only two survivors from that match — Nasser Hussain and Alec Stewart. Streak, who broke down at Worcester, did not feel any adverse reaction in his troublesome back after bowling 12 overs against Sussex at Hove on Sunday.

After a quiet tour so far — in terms of protests and demonstrations at least — it emerged yesterday that demonstrators against the regime of Robert Mugabe are going to stage a peaceful protest outside the Grace Gates at 11am on Thursday. The group, many of whom are exiled victims of Mugabe’s tyranny, will travel through central London in an open-top bus before arriving at Lord’s. En route, the bus will stop at the Zimbabwe High Commission in The Strand to hand over a letter to the High Commissioner calling for an end to state sponsored political violence in their troubled country.

Thami Tsolekile and Monde Zondeki, both uncapped, have been included in the South Africa squad for the Test series against England. Lance Klusener, the all-rounder who has struggled to find his form, is the most high-profile omission.

Zondeki, a 20-year-old right-arm pace bowler, is injured at present after a car accident in March, but he is expected to be fit by the time the five-match Test series starts at Edgbaston on July 24.

There are several changes in the Test squad from the one for the one-day international series against England and Zimbabwe that starts in June. Boeta Dippenaar, Gary Kirsten, Robin Peterson, Tsolekile, Charl Willoughby and Zondeki replace Nicky Boje, Alan Dawson, Andrew Hall, Charl Langeveldt, Andre Nel, Martin Van Jaarsveld and Morne van Wyk for the Test matches.

Test squad

G Smith (Western Province, captain), M Boucher (Border, vice-captain), P Adams (Western Province), B Dippenaar (Free State), H Gibbs (Western Province), J Kallis (Western Province), G Kirsten (Western Province), N McKenzie (Northerns), M Ntini (Border), R Peterson (Eastern Province), S Pollock (KwaZulu-Natal), D Pretorius (Free State), J Rudolph (Northerns), T Tsolekile (Western Province), C Willoughby (Western Province), M Zondeki (Border)

ONE-DAY SQUAD: G Smith (captain, Western Province), M Boucher (Border), P Adams (Western Province), N Boje (Free State), A Dawson (Western Province), H Gibbs (Western Province), A Hall (Easterns), J Kallis (Western Province), C Langeveldt (Boland), N McKenzie (Northerns), A Nel (Easterns), M Ntini (Border), S Pollock (KwaZulu-Natal), D Pretorius (Free State), J Rudolph, (Northerns), M van Jaarsveld
(Northerns), Morne van Wyk (Free State)