Warne given all-clear to face England in one-day finals

Shane Warne could play against England in the first VB Series final in Sydney on Thursday, Australian team doctors have confirmed.

The physiotherapist Errol Alcott said Warne had recovered well from Sunday's bowling stint for Victoria in a one-day match against Tasmania. He will examine Warne's shoulder today and, if there are no problems, he will recommend the leg-spinner be made available for selection.

The 33-year-old Warne dislocated his bowling shoulder diving to field a ball during a match against England on 15 December. It was initially expected that he would miss Australia's World Cup defence, which begins next month, but exploratory surgery a week before Christmas in Melbourne revealed the extent of the damage was less severe than originally feared.

Warne said yesterday that he had some stiffness in his shoulder but was confident he was fit enough to play for Australia. "It's pulled up pretty well, actually, it feels really good – a little bit stiff but that's how it often feels [after bowling] so nothing out of the ordinary," he said.

In fact, early yesterday Warne felt there may even have been a chance of playing in today's day-night qualifier against Sri Lanka, rendered meaningless because Australia and England have already secured their places in the finals.

"It just depends on how it goes today and what they want to do," he said. "We are in the finals, so maybe another couple of days to get over this and then maybe play in Sydney, or maybe the second final. That's all to be decided over the next couple of days."

Warne said he was thrilled to be back in contention so soon, and said he felt he would be peaking again just in time for the World Cup.

"To be bowling the way I was the last two games, I am only going to get better and better," he said. "As the World Cup starts I'll be just about hopefully back to where I was before I was injured, which would be nice."

Warne played his second one-day game since suffering the injury when he appeared against Tasmania in an ING Cup game at Bellerive Oval on Sunday, taking 2 for 41 from his 10 overs and bowling well, with no apparent discomfort.

"I am pretty excited the way they came out those last nine overs," Warne said. "The ball I got [Scott] Kremerskothen with I thought was a beauty."