In the midst of the fourth ODI showdown between Australia and South Africa at Centurion’s SuperSport Park, Travis Head’s dreams of participating in the World Cup were thrown into doubt. This Australian batsman found himself in a precarious situation after taking a hit to his left hand while trying to execute a pull shot against the rapid short-pitched delivery of Gerald Coetzee.
Travis Head showed incredible resilience and determination, pushing through a few more deliveries despite the excruciating pain. However, the agony became unbearable, leading to his unfortunate decision to retire hurt. Australian head coach Andrew McDonald confirmed this development, expressing his understanding of the situation.
“I’m not a medical person, but I think it’s a little bit higher up than the actual [index] finger itself. But I don’t know the actual terminology. It’s in a joint somewhere so I won’t go into the medical specifics. But, yeah, a confirmed fracture and to be assessed again tomorrow with another scan,” as quoted by Cricbuzz.
Australia is facing a mounting list of concerns as they prepare for the World Cup, with uncertainty surrounding the extent of Travis Head’s injury. Alongside Head, there are worries about the fitness of key players like Pat Cummins, Steve Smith, Glenn Maxwell, and Mitchell Starc, all nursing injuries. In addition, all-rounder Cameron Green had to step out of the first ODI due to a concussion. Ashton Agar, who briefly returned home for the birth of his child, is also grappling with soreness.
Adding to the woes, Spencer Johnson is currently sidelined with a hamstring injury, and Mitchell Marsh won’t be able to bowl in the final ODI due to an ankle problem. While the hope is that these players will recover in time for the upcoming series against India, the uncertainty surrounding Travis Head’s availability for the World Cup looms large.
McDonald did offer some positive news regarding Cameron Green, stating, “He’s been cleared by the medical team, so he’s just working away getting prepared. Hopefully, he’s available for game five. That’s the plan at this stage. We’ll be able to have some training tomorrow, assess that and there will be some forced changes and we’ll have some guys potentially a little bit sore. We’ll have to manage those guys as well.”
