MUMBAI, June 16: Indian off-spinner Harbhajan Singh has been advised to have immediate surgery on a finger injury that has been troubling him since the World Cup in South Africa earlier this year.

Orthopaedic surgeon Sudhir Warrier, who examined Harbhajan, said on Monday the off-spinner needed quick treatment on his right hand.

“He needs surgery to repair the ligament,” Warrier said. “If the injury is not treated in time, it can get worse. This is the right time to get the surgery done.”

A decision on the operation from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is likely when president Jagmohan Dalmiya and secretary Karunakaran Nair return later this week from an International Cricket Council (ICC) meeting in London.

“Harbhajan has a chronic strain of the ligament of the knuckle joint of his right middle finger,” Warrier said.

“The X-ray and MRI show that the ligament is not stable and is not supporting the joint when he stresses the finger. He will need six weeks to recover after the surgery.”—Reuters