LONDON, Feb 24: Former Australian Test star Terry Alderman believes all-rounder Andrew Symonds may never fully recover from injuring his right bicep.

“My worry with Symonds is not just for this tournament but also the rest of his career,” Alderman said. “It's a major surgery that he's had and a major injury that he suffered.”

Symonds is set to miss Australia's opening World Cup group games in the Caribbean next month following an injury sustained while batting against England three weeks ago.

Alderman told the BBC that he was worried that the repair made to Symonds's ruptured tendons could affect him long-term as a fielder.

“We know what happened to (former Aussie paceman) Jeff Thomson all those years ago when he collided with Allan Turner. He was never the same bowler,” he said, “And I've got a feeling the injury might take the edge off Andrew Symonds’ fielding.”

In Symonds’s absence, the world champions Australians have been in freefall losing the home series to England and then defeat in New Zealand to throw their World Cup preparations into chaos.

They have also lost the services of pace spearhead Brett Lee who has been ruled out of the tournament after damaging ankle ligaments. —AFP