Ashes hero Jones forced to sit out winter tour of Pakistan

Jones will now undergo surgery to remove the bony growths that continue to cause discomfort around his right ankle, and the fast bowler hopes to be fit for England's visit to India next March.

"I am thoroughly disappointed but there is very little I can do about it," Jones said. "I rested it for three weeks, as the medical people asked, before I started doing something on it, but it has got worse over the last couple of days. It is something I need to get right. I have got the operation coming up pretty soon and the recovery time is two to three months, and that gives me plenty of time to get fit for India. That is now my goal.

"Being injured is not a nice feeling but life is life. Sometimes these things can come along and make you a better person and a better cricketer."

The loss of Jones is a major blow to England's chances of winning in Pakistan, a result that would strengthen the case for them being labelled the best side in the world.

David Graveney, England's chairman of selectors, described Jones's forced withdrawal as a big blow. "Simon formed a partnership as one of the four fast bowlers who provided such a test for Australia. The combination of four fast bowlers was really the perfect mix," he said.

Jones was a vital member of Michael Vaughan's attack during the Ashes, taking 18 wickets in four Tests at an average of just 21. He claimed two five-wicket hauls and surprised Australia with his pace, control and hostility. His ability to reverse swing the old ball also provided Vaughan with a cutting edge. Reverse swing will be crucial in Pakistan. It was here that Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis, the two greatest exponents of the art, learnt their trade.

But England do not have a fast bowler capable of fulfilling Jones's role. This became evident in the fifth Test against Australia, when the selectors replaced Jones with Paul Collingwood, a batsman. Collingwood is unlikely to play in the first Test in Multan on 12 November, but Jones's absence will cause England to completely rethink their tactics.

The England captain will now have to contemplate playing a second spinner. England selected three such bowlers for the tour. Ashley Giles is Vaughan's No 1 spinner and Shaun Udal and Alex Louden now have a great chance of making their Test debuts. Udal's greater experience ­ he toured Australia with England in 1994-95 ­ will probably gain him the first chance to show his credentials, but Louden is an exciting young cricketer with a bright future.

Giles and Udal are both capable bowlers but it is hard to imagine Pakistan's talented batting line-up losing any sleep over facing the pair. Orthodox spin rarely troubles players brought up in this part of the world.

England also have concerns about the fitness of another of their fast bowlers, Chris Tremlett, who finished the season with a knee injury. Should Tremlett fail to recover Durham's Liam Plunkett, who has been selected for the one-day leg of the tour, would be the favourite to be added to the squad.