Published: Mar 24, 2019, 06:50 PM (IST)
Edited: Mar 24, 2019, 07:00 PM (IST)
Australia were dealt a major injury blow after fast bowler Jhye Richardson dislocated his right shoulder while fielding against Pakistan in the second ODI in Sharjah on Sunday. Richardson landed with impact on his right arm while attempting to stop a boundary near deep-midwicket in the 11th over of the Pakistan innings. He will play do further part in the match and is likely out of the remainder of the series.
Richardson immediately called for medical attention and was walked off the field by doctor Richard Saw. He was later seen sitting in the dugout with a brace on his arm. The extent of the injury is unknown at the moment but a dislocated shoulder usually takes 12 to 16 weeks to heal completely, which further puts Richardson’s World Cup participation in doubt.
Richardson has been phenomenal with the white ball for Australia since making his debut against India in January this year. He dismissed the Indian captain, Virat Kohli all three occasions in the ODI series and has taken 22 wickets from 11 matches so far. In the ongoing series against Pakistan, Richardson had taken 1 for 64 in the first ODI and his figures read 2/16 from five overs. He is also Australia’s leading wicket-taker this year with 17 scalps.
Such has been Richardson’s impact in the last three months that prior to the start of the series that Australia captain Aaron Finch was high on praise for the young fast bowler.
“He’s a confident young kid, the amount he’s improved – his consistency has been a lot better over the last little while,” Finch had said. “Being in and around the Australian side for quite a few months now… he seems to have taken everything in his stride.
“He’s someone who is always asking questions, always learning. Especially for a young kid – not all young kids are willing to learn as quickly as he is. A lot of people sit back and wait for things to be given to them. He’s someone who actively seeks out batsmen to talk about his bowling.”
