The subplot thickened last night when Craig Pickering pulled out of tomorrow’s Norwich Union Indoor Grand Prix at Birmingham’s National Indoor Arena because of illness. Last year’s European silver medal-winner had been due to go head to head with Simeon Williamson in the 60 metres, with the winner all but assured of joining Dwain Chambers in the World Indoor Championships squad.

However, Malcolm Arnold, Pickering’s coach, said that the Bath University student had been unwell for ten days, contributing to his below-par performance in the trials in Sheffield last weekend. Williamson finished second to Chambers, but Pickering will hope to prove his worth in Paris a week today.

Pickering’s withdrawal is bad news for Fast Track, the promoter, which had decided not to invite Chambers to the Birmingham meeting, but it instantly burst the bubble of hype growing around the confrontation. Pickering has been a rare dissenting voice among athletes, saying that Chambers should have received a life ban for doping, whereas Williamson has been taking tips from the new British No 1 and had backed his return. In addition, Arnold’s questioning about who is coaching Chambers did not go down well at the Lee Valley Athletics Centre in North London, where Lloyd Cowan, Williamson’s coach, works.

“The doctor believes Craig has picked up a virus and is suffering from diarrhoea, but it could also be a bout of food poisoning,” Arnold said. “He has been told to take a total rest and he is very disappointed he will not be running in Birmingham. Now we have to hope that Craig is fit enough to run in Paris next Friday and prove that he is over his bad patch.”

It leaves the selectors with another dilemma. Pickering could rightly claim to be the second-best man after recording 6.57sec and 6.58 this season. However, Williamson beat Pickering when it mattered. Given Pickering’s disgruntlement over the Chambers saga and Williamson’s anger at being overlooked for last year’s World Championships, UK Athletics can expect more blood on the tracks.