KABIR Ali is determined to catch up for lost time when he comes off Worcestershire's casualty list.

The 23-year-old paceman has missed the start of the season after undergoing surgery to cure a double hernia.

But he's now well on the road to recovery and hopes to be back in action as soon as possible with director of cricket Tom Moody indicating Kabir could be back in the team within the next seven days.

Kabir certainly hopes so after admitting to being totally frustrated about missing the launch of Worcestershire's maiden campaign in the Frizzell County Championship Division One, although he accepts he had little choice.

He said: "There was just a little bit of soreness around the groin area and I had a word with the physio for a check-up and he said it was a double hernia, so we thought we'd get it done straight away."

That was shortly before the beginning of the season, leaving him to watch from the sidelines as his team-mates geared up for the new campaign.

"It was frustrating because I felt I needed to be out there with the boys and unfortunately I couldn't be," said Kabir, who had been looking forward to making an early season impact after breaking into the England Test team last summer.

He made his debut against South Africa at Headingley and also featured in one match in the NatWest Series when he played against Zimbabwe.

He had hoped that a bumper crop of wickets in the opening weeks of the season would put in good stead for a return to the international scene.

But at the moment it's a case of being patient and ensuring that he's fully fit before making his first County appearance of the year.

He said: "I've put the hard yards in for the last six months and unfortunately turning up at the start of the season and breaking down was just frustrating.

"I need it to be 110 per cent just to be on the safe side and I don't want to break down once I'm back into it. But once I get my fitness up to date I'll build on it from there."

Kabir had looked as if he was going to turn up at New Road as fit as ever after going through his paces during the winter.

He said: "Tom Moody and myself sat down and highlighted a few areas of my game and in the last six months I've been working on by fitness, batting and bowling."

Kabir says he has made a slight change to his bowling action but 'not a major difference'.

"It's just to get more accuracy and a bit more rhythm in my run-up. It's nothing major just a little bit of fine tuning."

As far as getting back into the England set-up, he said: "I haven't set any goals. Hopefully once I'm back into it I'll give it my best shot."

Kabir believes that playing in the Championship's top flight this summer could help him return to the international arena.

"It's a bigger competition so hopefully it will give me a better chance to get back in the England side again," said the Moseley-born quickie, whose younger cousin Kadeer Ali also began the campaign on the New Road injury list.

Batsman Kadeer broke his elbow in pre-season training but was able to make his first appearance in the County's rain-hit draw against the New Zealanders.