Ahead of the Test series against Sri Lanka, Australia’s batting mainstay Steve Smith was relieved to have overcome concerns over a significant elbow injury. The injury was incurred during a Big Bash League (BBL) game, casting doubt on Smith’s availability for the series. Smith will captain the Australian team in Pat Cummins’ absence.
The injury scare that the 35-year-old experienced happened at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) during a BBL game. Smith experienced severe pain in his elbow, which required ligament surgery in 2019, while he was making an outfield throw following a catch. For the seasoned cricket player, the acute pain evoked painful recollections of that prior injury, which required a lengthy recuperation period.
I caught Davey [Warner] over the boundary during the Big Bash game the other night and flung the ball back into the field with a lot of force. Oh my god, that hurt right away. I was a little concerned at first because it felt a lot like when I tore my ligament back in 2019. However, tests revealed that, thankfully, my mended ligament is still in place. “I have some muscle damage, and the ligament on the bone is doing something with a tiny millimetre of it,” Smith said.
I will be able to access it and experiment with the tape: Steve Smith
Remarkably, Steve Smith’s early scans showed no ligament rupture but did identify some little muscle injury and a tiny ligament abnormality close to the bone. A previous blow to Smith’s shoulder by Jhye Richardson during the BBL may have been the primary cause of the injury, altering his throwing technique. Smith is expected to play in the Sri Lanka series despite the scare, albeit with some fielding restrictions. Smith has already started a modified workout regimen since travelling to Dubai for Australia’s pre-series training camp.
I was a little concerned for a while because it felt a lot like when I tore my ligament in 2019. However, tests revealed that, thankfully, my mended ligament is still in place. A tiny millimetre of the bone’s ligament is contributing to my minor muscle injury. I’ll probably be unable to throw for a while, but I’m rather comfortable batting. He went on, “I’ll be able to get into it and play with some tape on it.”
The purpose of the Dubai training camp is to help the team get ready for the spin-dominant series by providing specially designed pitches that mimic Sri Lankan conditions. Smith explained the significance of the camp.
There was a lot of fluctuation in the spin and some bounce while I was there observing. The reason we are in Dubai is so that we can do whatever we want with these wickets and attempt to assist people in creating game plans when things do get out of control. This week, the guys will gain knowledge that will help us on the tour,” Smith said.
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