By Martin Gough

To lose one fast bowler may be considered a misfortune, losing two could be considered careless.

McGrath and Lee are both out of action for Australia

But to lose an entire pace attack to injury points to a major problem.

England got through seven fast bowlers during last winter's Ashes series, and Andrew Flintoff did not even manage to get on the field of play.

And Australia go into a one-day series in India while Glenn McGrath (ankle), Jason Gillespie (side) and Brett Lee (stomach and ankle) all nurse injuries at home.

Sheer weight of cricket seems to be the biggest reason for the problem.

Between 1 October 2002 and the same date this year, Australia played 14 Tests and 31 one-day internationals.

Ten years ago they played only six fewer ODIs in a year than included an England tour and a World Cup, but just half the number of Test matches.

I don't know how long Brett Lee is going to be able to bowl the way he does Leading physio Craig Smith

Former South Africa physiotherapist Craig Smith believes injuries are bound to occur to pace bowlers with the amount of cricket that is being played worldwide.

"Countries pay their players a lot of money and in return they're trying to get their pound of flesh," he told the BBC Sport website.

"There has been a trend of increasing games over the last five or 10 years.

"Players have adapted quite well but there's always going to be a situation where injuries are going to occur."

After a season in county cricket with Lancashire, Smith believes there is a massive difference between first-class and Test cricket.

And he says one-day internationals are another step up again, producing up to three times as many injuries.

COMMON INJURIES Spine - stress fractures or disc-related injuries Ankle - chronic breakdown in the front foot Skeletal - Lower leg, trunk muscles, knee joints

"The pressure, the duration of the game and the quality of the opposition means what they players put their bodies through [in international cricket] is greater," Smith explains.

"One-day cricket is a lot more intense - you've got three hours of intense, fast sprint-type activity - whereas in Test cricket it's a lot more drawn out."

South African research shows bowling more than 800 overs a year increases the risk of injury.

In Shaun Pollock's first season in county cricket he bowled more than 1200, although central contracts worldwide now tend to cut that workload.

Smith believes the best solution would be for the ICC to draw together research from around the world, especially in Australia and South Africa, for general benefit.

"The ICC are allowing countries to play against each other so much on the basis of producing income.

"But they're not doing the research to ensure players are strong enough, fit enough and avoiding injury," he argues.

BUSY BOWLERS Glenn McGrath (Aus) Domestic: 172.2 overs Tests: 370.5 ODIs: 177 Total: 720.1 Shaun Pollock (SA) Domestic: 7* Tests: 377.3 ODIs: 262.1 Total: 646.4 Stephen Harmison (Eng) Domestic: 161.1 Tests: 320.4 ODIs: 41.4 Total: 523.1 Matches from 1/10/02 - 1/10/03 * SA first-class season shortened for World Cup

"You do not want a Brett Lee or a Shoaib Akhtar or a Makhaya Ntini or a James Anderson out of the game. You want them playing, fit and strong."

In the meantime, there are steps teams can take to try to cut down the risks.

On tour in Bangladesh, England have joined the growing number of sides employing ice baths at the end of play and gym sessions to strengthen supporting muscles.

"You look at the Australians and they really are solid, powerful blokes," says Smith.

"Glenn McGrath's morphological state changed from when he was 22 or 23 to now in his early 30s - he's better developed."

But McGrath and Pollock are an example of what a player can do to help himself.

"When Shaun was 22 or 23 and just coming into the South Africa team he was young, mobile, flexible and he just wanted to run in and bowl fast," Smith goes on.

"As he's grown older and stiffened up a little bit, maybe weakened a little, he's modified and become a really wily bowler, like Glenn McGrath."

But as McGrath has found, even an emphasis on brain-work is not a comprehensive insurance against spending time on the sidelines.