Hampshire off-spinner Shaun Udal has had surgery to cure a long-term ankle problem after he was overlooked as a replacement for England's troubled Ashes tour.

Udal, 33, had put off the operation to have two screws removed from his ankle in the forlorn hope that he might be added to Nasser Hussain's injury-hit squad.

England's decision to opt for Yorkshire's Richard Dawson in place of Ashley Giles, who has broken his wrist, persuaded Udal to undergo surgery before Christmas. He is confident of being fit for the start of the 2003 season.

Udal, who played 10 one-day internationals for England between 1994 and 1995, said: "The injury is one that has been bothering me for a while.

"It got to the point where I had to make a decision on the operation because otherwise I'd have had to have it in the new year and I would have been struggling to be fit in time."

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