Vermeulen suffers fractured skull ... again

Mark Vermeulen is led off after sustaining a hairline fracture to his skull © Getty Images

The eventful start to Mark Vermeulen's international career continued at Brisbane on Monday, when he suffered a fracture to his skull for the second time in almost exactly a year.

Vermeulen was forced to retire hurt and faces a lengthy spell on the sidelines after being struck over the right eye by Irfan Pathan. The ball squeezed through a gap between his helmet and visor, but though he initially fell to the ground, he was able to walk off the pitch with the assistance of the team physio.

He was taken to hospital for X-rays which confirmed a depressed hairline fracture and will undergo surgery prior to flying home. At this stage, it is unknown how long Vermeulen will spend out of the game, but he at least has prior knowledge of such a head injury. In February 2003 he was struck over the right eye by his team-mate Travis Friend, as they practiced in the nets at Bloemfontein prior to Zimbabwe's World Cup Super Six match against New Zealand.

At the time, Vermeulen described the injury as "the most painful thing I have ever experienced", and it resulted in a two-month lay-off. He recovered in time to make Zimbabwe's trip to England, but he was sent home for disciplinary reasons after recording a pair in the second Test at Durham, and missed the subsequent one-day series.

At six foot four, Vermeulen is one of the tallest opening batsmen in international cricket, and one of Zimbabwe's best young prospects. He has so far played seven Tests and 19 one-day internationals, and is a former captain of their U19 team.