Durham without Martin Love for start of season

By Jon Steer
March 12 2003

Durham are reeling from the news that they will be without star batsmen Martin Love for much of the season. Love is expected to be included in the Australian squad to tour West Indies from April to June and possibly in the squad to play Bangledesh later in the season.

The Australian selectors will finalise the 15 man squad to tour the Carribean this coming Sunday but it is understood that Durham COunty Cricket Club have already been told that Love will be part of the squad.

The first match of the tour is on 5th April against a presidents XI and will consist of four test matches and seven one day games before the players return to Australia at the beginning of June, two months into the packed English season.

Loves first two test matches for Australia were the fourth and fifth Ashes tests in the winter when he was called up to replace Darren Lehmann. Love, playing against Durham teammate Steve Harmison and scored a total of 95 runs.

There could be further bad news for Durham when Australia host Bangladesh later in the season. If Love is called up again to play in the two test series he will be away again from mud-July to mid-August.