Published: Oct 20, 2022, 07:30 AM (IST)
Edited: Oct 20, 2022, 07:30 AM (IST)
Melbourne: Australia’s reserve wicketkeeper Josh Inglis is set to be ruled out of the T20 World Cup after suffering a freakish injury while playing golf at the Sydney golf course. The metal handle of a 6-iron club snapped on impact and left Josh Inglish with a badly cut right hand.
However, there has been some relief for the player as the injury is not as bad as expected. The Australian player has not suffered any tendon damage meaning he is expected to be out for weeks rather than months but a two-week injury means that he would unavailable for the entire group stage of the tournament.
The Australian cricket team are now looking for his replacement. International Cricket Council (ICC) rules dictate that once Josh Inglis has been replaced in the 15-player squad, he cannot come back in unless there is another injury.
“An incredibly freak accident to Josh, unfortunately – playing the 2nd hole, a short par 3, he hit a 6 iron and as he made contact with the ground the shaft snapped around the grip area and cut into his hand,” revealed Australia’s head coach Andrew McDonald while talking to SEN Radio.
He said, “It’s not looking good for Josh. We’ve got a bit of work to do and a bit of a problem to solve this morning around our backup keeper and also a backup batter, (with Inglis) potentially not going to take any part in the World Cup. It’s damage to the palm of the hand, which is less than ideal in his right hand, so where he’d be gripping the bat and if he did have to ‘keep, the ball would be impacting that area.”
The head coach added, “He saw a hand specialist yesterday, thankfully, there’s no tendon damage. That’s the positive out of the negative, that there’s no tendon damage, and they’ve been able to stitch it up and clean up the wound and let the healing begin. But we know that the timeframe, and how quickly these games are going to come around, that puts his part in the World Cup in jeopardy big time.”
Australia faced a defeat in their last warm-up match against India and will look to start the tournament on a bright note in their home conditions.
