MELBOURNE, Dec 15: Australia’s champion leg-spinner Shane Warne is in doubt for February’s World Cup after dislocating his bowling shoulder here on Sunday.

Warne dived to stop a single off his own bowling and landed with his full weight on his right elbow during the one-day match against England.

He was stretchered off the Melbourne Cricket Ground in great pain and the shoulder joint was pushed back into place in the dressing room.

Australian team physiotherapist Errol Alcott confirmed that Warne had suffered a discloated right shoulder.

“We know he’s actually dislocated his shoulder. He’s got what’s called an anterior dislocation,” Alcott said.

“It was put back in by the (Australian Cricket Board) ACB chief medical officer Trefor Jones. It went in really well, so we’re happy about that.

“Now we need to just wait a little bit to see if there’s any further damage.

“First of all, we need to establish if there’s any bone injury, so we need to get some X-rays done on it.

“And then he’ll be seen by a specialist, a shoulder specialist who has done his surgery before.

“Our main concern is his prior history. He’s had surgery on that shoulder before so we need to have a look and see if there’s perhaps further damage done to that already damaged joint.

“We’re looking at four to six (weeks out) to start with. It might be more four than six but it depends if there’s anything else injured.

“If there is something more, than we’d probably have to add on the weeks.”

The World Cup is scheduled to start on Feb 9 in South Africa. Australia’s first match in the tournament is against Pakistan in Johannesburg two days later.

Warne needed reconstruction surgery on the right shoulder in 1998, forcing him out of the first four Tests of the 1998-99 home Ashes series against England.

He also missed much of the 2000-01 Australian summer when he broke his spinning finger in a fielding mishap.

The 33-year-old wristspinner is Test cricket’s second-highest wicket taker with 491 wickets behind West Indian Courtney Walsh.

He rejuvenated his international career this year with a strict fitness regime that resulted in a much trimmer, muscular frame.

Stuart MacGill, who bowled with success against England on their last tour here, is expected to be Warne’s leg-spinning replacement for the remaining two Ashes Tests.—AFP