Rahul Dravid has pulled out of the five-match one-day series against England in January, asking the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for permission to travel to South Africa and undergo rehabilitation treatment for his right shoulder.

Dravid, who has also dropped out of the Challenger Trophy, scheduled to be held in Bangalore from January 10 to 13, experienced trouble with his shoulder as early as the latter stages of the South African tour. Taking advantage of his presence in the country, he consulted Cape-Town-based Dr. Jo de Beer, an orthopaedic surgeon.

At the time, Dravid was advised to exert his shoulder as little as possible, avoiding throws from the deep. Dr de Beer did clarify, however, that the injury was not related to the rotator cuff; Dravid's statemate, Javagal Srinath, suffered from a rotator cuff injury that put him out of action for almost one year.

After a dismal performance in the recently concluded Test series against England, Dravid must have been looking to the Challenger Trophy matches to get back into form with the bat, especially as he was selected to lead the India B team. His decision, however, has been taken with the home series against Zimbabwe and the tour of the West Indies in mind.

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