Dean Headley, who won high praise for his strike bowling on the tour, is to see a specialist tomorrow after a recurrence of the hip problem which kept him out of action for the first part of last season.

His Kent colleague, Mark Ealham, has a fractured index finger of his right hand and captain Adam Hollioake, who is not returning to England until the New Year, is planning to have an operation on his left ankle.

Hollioake said he had been experiencing problems bowling throughout the tour because of bones in the ankle rubbing together. ``I have had it for the last three years but have put off having the trouble seen to,'' he said. ``I just couldn't put my left foot down properly in the delivery stride and this has affected my bowling.''

Hollioake took 17 wickets in all games on tour, and manager David Graveney believes ``his bowling will be vastly improved if the ankle trouble is resolved''.

Graveney and Mike Gatting, the England A coach, will argue the case with the out-going Test and County Cricket Board for the exemption of Owais Shah, 18, from selection for next summer's England under-19 side. Both are concerned that Shah, who made a big impression on the tour, should be left to learn his trade in county cricket.

``What happened to him in Australia was fabulous in terms of experience,'' said Gatting. ``He showed great composure under pressure and clearly has a good head for one so young. There is a rule that under-19 games come before county cricket and I realise that once these rules are made you have to stand by them. But Shah has gained so much from this higher level of the game that I hope common sense will prevail in his case.

``Surely it makes sense with Australia behind him that he will gain more from playing county cricket than moving down a level. And that's got nothing to do with the fact that he plays for Middlesex.''