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Summary England coach Andy Flower expects Graeme Swann to be back for first Test against South Africa.
England coach Andy Flower has said Graeme Swann should be fit for next weeks first Test against South Africa after the off-spinner had a cortisone injection in his sore bowling elbow.Swann, 33, has been a mainstay of world number one Test-ranked Englands side in all three international formats but, together with seamer Tim Bresnan, was rested from the climax of the 4-0 one-day series win over Australia.But Flower expects Swann to be back on duty when England put their number one status on the line against South Africa in the first of a three-Test series starting at The Oval a week on Thursday.Swann has a cortisone injection in his elbow -- and with the combination of rest and the injection, he should be fit for the Test, said Flower.They have had these ongoing elbow problems, both Swann and Bresnan.Our medical staff believe they will be fit and available for selection for the first Test.But its a strenuous exercise, being a bowler playing international cricket.They play all three forms of the game. So thats why Swann missed a big part of the one-day series and why we rested Bresnan on occasion.Meanwhile, turning to the batsmen, Flower acknowledged the progress of his former Essex team-mate Ravi Bopara, whose unbeaten fifty at Old Trafford on Tuesday sealed Englands one-day triumph over Australia and saw the all-rounder put pressure on Jonathan Bairstow for the number six spot in the Test side.We have been talking about it -- I wouldnt say constantly but regularly -- and we have got a very clear idea of the way were going, Flower said.You spend a lot of time with players like Ravi and Alastair Cook at Essex. I played with Ravi and have obviously spent a lot of time in that coach-player relationship, he added.We want him to do well, like him as a friend and rate him as a cricketer, so its very rewarding in a number of ways.Although Englands focus has now turned to Test cricket, Flower was encouraged by their recent run of 10 successive one-day international wins and the implications for next years Champions Trophy tournament in England.In knockout situations, we are experienced now in those tournaments -- and were playing very well at the moment, said the former Zimbabwe batsman.
