Too late for Tudor

Tudor should be able to take evasive action in the future

Alex Tudor has been told he is short-sighted and will have to wear contact lenses, adding a bizarre new chapter to England's ill-fated Ashes tour.

At least it makes a change from the catalogue of broken bones, torn ligaments and plain unfit players that the team has suffered so far.

But Tudor could have done with the diagnosis a little earlier.

Before 1 December would have been handy.

Tudor was struck by a vicious Brett Lee delivery on day three of the third Test at the start of the month which left him needing six stitches.

Not on the pitch please Alex

But next time he's hit by a bouncer Tudor will not be so inconsiderate as to bleed on the wicket.

"I don't like seeing blood on the pitch," said Lee after the game.

Tudor has scored a Test 99 not out so he is definitely regarded as 'fair game' by cricket's most intimidating fast bowlers.

But did he see Brett Lee's delivery coming?

England physio Kirk Russell was convinced that Tudor's myopia (the fancy term for short-sightedness) was not connected to the player failing to get out of the way of Lee's bouncer.

"This has nothing to do with the blow he received from Lee, but it was noticed while he was at the specialist's," he said.

Let this be a lesson to us all though.

Not many people enjoy putting on those ridiculous contraptions designed to test your eyesight while straining to read a distant sight card and making up the last few lines.

But it has to be said that this is a rather more pleasant way of discovering that you need contact lenses than being caught in the face by an 85mph bouncer from Brett Lee.