IAN Austin today reassured the England selectors about his World Cup fitness after handing them an injury scare by pulling out of Lancashire's Championship game against Middlesex at Lord's.

The popular all-rounder withdrew yesterday, prompting fears that he had suffered a recurrence of the knee injury which forced him to have an operation during the winter and then to prove his fitness to the selectors.

But Austin said today: "It's not the knee, just a niggle in the thigh, and it's nothing too bad. I just didn't want to take any risks."

He is confident of being fit for Lancashire's CGU National League game at Essex on Sunday, and may also be asked to play in the Championship match at Leicester starting next Wednesday to give the thigh a good workout ahead of the World Cup.

As it turned out, there was no need for Austin to withdraw from the Middlesex game as it was heading for a total washout today.

Play was about to start at 12 o'clock yesterday and the captains even exchanged teams and tossed up, with John Crawley calling correctly and putting Middlesex in.

But then it started raining again, with several heavy showers forcing a third consecutive Lord's washout - making it five out of seven for Lancashire this season - ,and prospects were no better today.

That would leave Lancashire with only 14 points from two games through little fault of their own, following the rain-ruined draw against Sussex at Old Trafford last week - not the start they were looking for in a season when the Championship will split into two divisions. The start of play was delayed again today.

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