Published: Sep 22, 2016, 04:22 PM (IST)
Edited: Sep 22, 2016, 04:22 PM (IST)
South Africa’s skipper AB de Villiers is still recovering his elbow injury that he sustained in August. Due to his sustained injury, de Villiers will be missing the only One-Day International (ODI) match against Ireland that is to take place at Sahara Park Willowmoore in Benoni on Sunday to recover from his injury. He will have to pass the fitness Test before heading for Australia Test to check his availability. De Villiers had missed the recent 1-0 Sunfoil Test series against New Zealand due to injury, which was the first time he has missed a Test match due to injury since 2004. In his absence Faf du Plessis was the stand-in captain.
South Africa team manager Dr. Mohammed Moosajee spoke to cricket.co.za and said, “AB has been on a rigorous rehabilitation and treatment plan for the last six weeks but is still complaining of pain in the elbow region. We consulted with a specialist, who advised extensive rehab and injected the elbow with cortisone, however, the CSA medical committee has recommended a few more days of rehab to allow the elbow to improve. He will undergo treatment this week with our physiotherapist, Brandon Jackson, and a final call on his availability for the first ODI against Australia will be subject to him passing a fitness test.
He further added, “While surgery remains the last option, we hope that the extra time will allow the injury to respond to treatment.” ALSO READ: Throwback: Virat Kohli calls AB de Villiers ‘dear friend’, role model in every walk of life
Du Plessis will captain the team in the one-off match against Ireland, who was stand-in captain for de Villiers against New Zealand. Meanwhile, Rilee Rossouw has been added to the squad as batting cover in De Villiers’ absence.
