Gillespie may miss rest of the World Cup

JOHANNESBURG, March 4 AAP - Shattered Australia fast bowler Jason Gillespie is in doubt for the rest of the World Cup.

Ravaged by injuries throughout his career, Gillespie was taken for scans today to determine whether his right Achilles tendon injury would force him out of the tournament.

"It certainly hasn't improved since the problem initially occurred, which isn't ideal," said coach John Buchanan.

Gillespie's fate will be known within 48 hours.

He initially felt pain at a net session before last week's match against Namibia at Potchefstroom. He re-aggravated the problem at training before last Sunday's clash with England.

He missed both those matches and Buchanan rated him "extremely doubtful" for Australia's first Super Sixes game at Centurion's SuperSport park on Friday.

Physiotherapist Errol Alcott has been briefing selectors on Gillespie's worrying condition in case a replacement fast bowler needs to be brought into a squad already missing first-choice spinner Shane Warne.

"The selectors are probably on the case there," said Buchanan.

"I know Errol's been talking to them. They'll be looking at all the options at this stage but this final scan will be the determining factor."

Before the World Cup, a fully fit Gillespie had said: "I can't forsee myself having a problem ... you always get emotionally affected when you get hurt.

"I'd be more upset if I got injured and hadn't done the work previously. If I hadn't done the work and got injured I'd be dirty. I'm human, I get down and it's disappointing and it's happened to me a lot of times but you just have to think,' What have I got to do to get back in the team?'"

Gillespie was firing on all cylinders before he broke down, taking eight wickets at 12.25 against India, Pakistan, Holland and Zimbabwe.

"The heel problem hasn't gotten any better over the past few days," he said today.

"I'll continue to work with Errol Alcott over the next few days and hopefully come good.

"On a more positive note it was fantastic to see a fellow fast bowler in Andy Bichel stand in and do so well against England."

Bichel, coming off his 7-20 against England, is a ready-made replacement, but Buchanan hoped Gillespie would be able to return later in the tournament, which ends with the final on March 23 - less than three weeks away.

"At this stage it's a concern for sure because the injury hasn't actually gone away," said Buchanan.

"He wants to be out on the field like anybody. For him it's just another injury in a litany of injuries.

"He's always managed to get through that, he's a pretty tough sort of bloke in that regard."

Asked how Gillespie was coping with his latest enforced absence, Buchanan said: "Obviously he's disappointed. He's part of the World Cup squad and wants to play every game.

"It just seems that there's always a little hurdle somewhere along the line.

"He faces up to that pretty well. It's the initial period that is always quite disillusioning and it's almost like, 'Here we go again.'

"But he's resilient, he's a great kid and he works hard and whatever comes of this I expect him to get through it and be back in that team as soon as he can be."