Adrian Shankar spent two years at Lancashire before moving to New Road

Worcestershire batsman Adrian Shankar faces up to six weeks on the sidelines after a scan confirmed a strained cruciate ligament.

The 29-year-old suffered the injury before play on the second day of their four-day game against Durham.

Director of cricket Steve Rhodes told BBC Hereford and Worcester: "He twisted his knee doing a fielding drill which is a bitter pill to swallow."

Shankar was making his Championship debut for Worcestershire.

He joined earlier this month but was forced to sit out their second innings against Durham and now faces a lengthy lay-off.

Rhodes said Shankar's injury capped a run of bad luck for Worcestershire.

"After some of the other things that have happened you sometimes wonder when the sun is going to shine on you," he said.

"James Cameron has had three balls of his glove and got out each time playing forward when the ball hit his glove and you ask: 'Is that fair?'.

"Matt Pardoe clipped one beautifully off his pads against Durham and was the victim of a brilliant diving catch.

"Vikram [Solanki] got a decent ball while Moeen Ali was going really well and he felt he never hit the ball which is tough luck.

"You do start to think that things are really going against you but the one thing about cricket is that sometimes you earn your luck."

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