PACEMAN Kabir Ali expects to be injury-free by the time Wor-cestershire start their new season.

Kabir has been on the casualty list since breaking his collarbone trying to take a tumbling catch in the deep during the County's floodlit National League win over Durham in late July.

He was passed fit before Christmas and was able to go out to Australia and spend the rest of the winter playing alongside fellow New Road seamer Chris Liptrot at the Perth Academy.

The trip was paid for on a sponsorship from the Worcestershire Supporters' Association.

Performing as a batsman in his first game last week, he hit 60 and he has now been the all-clear to start bowling again.

After claiming 14 first-class wickets at 18 apiece in the two County Championship games he played last season, Kabir is looking forward to being fully fit to make a major impact at New Road next season.

He will start off by bowling in the nets in Perth on a six-week rehabilitation course.