Sri Lanka received a major World Cup boost on Friday after it was revealed that captain Sanath Jayasuriya had not broken his left forearm after being hit by Australia strike bowler Brett Lee in their World Cup Super Six match on Friday.

X-rays showed he had only suffered bad bruising, although he had chipped a thumb bone.

Sri Lanka team manager Ajit Jayasekera said: "He has a badly bruised left forearm.

"But a couple of balls before he was struck, he took a ball on the left thumb and the x-ray revealed a slight chip. He won't be batting again today."

Asked if Jayasuriya would be ready for the side's next match against India on Monday in Johannesburg, he replied: "Wait and see."

The news was a big boost for the side, even as they slip towards defeat against Australia at Centurion.

Jayasuriya was taken to hospital after being hit in the second over of the match.

Sri Lanka physiotherapist Alex Kountouri had said: "It's the left forearm. It's not looking good, we suspect a fracture."

Earlier in the day, Zimbabwe opening batsman Mark Vermeulen suffered a hairline fracture to his skull while batting in the nets.

Vermeulen was struck by a ball from Travis Friend which reared sharply off the pitch as Zimbabwe prepared for Saturday's World Cup Super Sixes match against New Zealand.

"It reared up just back of a length," Vermeulen told Reuters. "I tried to pull it but it got big on me. They say my skull is fractured just above the left eye.

"I'm down but not out and I should be able to play on Monday or Tuesday."

Pakistan opener Saeed Anwar missed his team's opening group match after he was struck on the elbow in the nets by Shoaib Akhtar.