DANISH Kaneria’s recovery from a seriously dislocated finger is going well.

The Essex and Pakistan leg-spinner returned to his homeland for surgery after hurting the digit attempting to take a return catch off Worcestershire’s Ben Smith on August 21.

It was originally thought that Kaneria had broken the ring finger in his right bowling hand, but subsequent X-rays showed that this was not the case.

Despite the injury being less serious than was initially feared, the 27-year-old had a wire inserted behind his knuckle by hand specialist Dr Shahad Ghani at the beginning of September.

Since then, Kaneria has been undergoing a rehabilitation programme and also working on his general fitness.

“I am staying positive about the injury because these things happen in cricket,” he told BigStar Cricket.

“Instead of being miserable about it I am actually viewing this time as an opportunity to get myself stronger and fitter than I have been for a long time.”

However, the injury did cause him to be left out of the Karachi Dolphins squad for the recent Pakistani domestic Twenty20 tournament.

In his absence, the Dolphins cruised into the final before going down to a seven-wicket defeat to the Sialkot Stallions.

Kaneria hopes to be fit for his Habib Bank club’s tilt at the first-class Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, which begins later this month.

He then hopes to be part of Pakistan's squad for their Test series against India in January before starting his preparations for a fifth spell with Essex.

Elsewhere, the spinner’s county team-mates are preparing for a wide range of international commitments this winter.

Alastair Cook and Ravinder Bopara are getting ready to jet off to Antigua for the Stanford Super Series, with both hoping to earn a place in England’s side for the $20million showdown with the Stanford Super Stars on November 1.

All-rounder Graham Napier is in England's squad for the Hong Kong sixes tournament, which begins in Kowloon on November 8 and 9, before joining up with the Wellington Firebirds for the New Zealand domestic season.

Young batsmen Jaik Mickleburgh and Adam Wheater have been named in the England Under-19 party that will travel to South Africa in January.

Meanwhile, fast bowler Maurice Chambers is heading for Florida to work on his game.