Vermeulen shows his mettle

By Scott Heinrich
BBC Sport at Edgbaston

Cricketers don't come much tougher than Zimbabwe batsman Mark Vermeulen.

Vermeulen had his skull fractured twice in a year

In both a literal and metaphorical sense, he is harder than iron.

He has twice had his skull fractured while playing international cricket, the second time only eight months ago.

"I had a three-and-a-half hour operation and they basically had to reconstruct the front of my skull with titanium plates," Vermeulen told BBC Sport.

It is an understatement to say the 25-year-old has been through a testing year.

Apart from breaking ranks from Zimbabwe's rebel players, Vermeulen has been fighting his way back from an injury that would have prompted most to call it a day.

Anybody who saw Irfan Pathan's bouncer strike Vermeulen after finding the gap above his helmet grille in Brisbane last January will not quickly forget the sickening scene.

It was doubly worse for the victim, who two months earlier had scored his maiden Test century, because he had suffered a similar injury during net practice at the 2003 World Cup.

"It's been a difficult time," Vermeulen explains.

"I couldn't shower for ages and I had staples in my head from ear to ear where they had to cut my skull open."

"I've been trying to get back into it slowly.

I've taken the pull shot out of my repertoire

"I was back in the nets six weeks later. I started with throw-downs and nothing around the head."

Vermeulen was advised to consider retirement, but soon discounted the idea and does not expect any special treatment from fast bowlers in the future.

"When it happened, I thought how I couldn't go through this again, and the doctor said I couldn't [afford to] get hit there again," he adds.

"But cricket is my only love, my big love, and I decided to go on playing.

"If it happens again it will make one hell of a mess, and it is at the back of my mind when I am at the crease.

"But it's a freak accident so hopefully it won't happen again.

"I'm just looking to get on with my game, get my head out of the way and duck and weave.

"I've taken the pull shot out of my repertoire. I just try to get underneath it."

The ball lodges inside a stricken Vermeulen's helmet

Vermeulen was a member of the original group who took on the Zimbabwe Cricket Union over allegedly biased selection policy and the sacking of skipper Heath Streak in April.

While the row carries on and most 'rebels' are either overseas or not playing any cricket, Vermeulen is back in the fold.

"I went to South Africa, and when I came back the ZCU said everything was sorted out, so I continued to play," he recalls.

"I played in the 'A' team game against Sri Lanka with the others, including Heath, and I thought everything was OK.

"I just wanted to play cricket. Obviously there was a bit of pressure, but for personal reasons I just wanted to play."

Progress has been slow for both Vermeulen and the shadow side in which he is now a senior figure.

"I'm looking forward to getting my head down and playing some big innings," he said.

Never could those words have been expressed more sincerely.