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Australia faces triple injury setbacks ahead of the series-deciding T20I against South Africa. Owen, Morris, and Short are out. Hardie, Connolly, and Kuhnemann join the squad.
All-rounder Mitchell Owen was hit on helmet during the second T20I vs South Africa
Australia have dealt with triple injury blows ahead of the series-deciding T20I fixture against South Africa, scheduled to be played on Saturday in Cairns.
Mitchell Owen, who suffered a concussion after being struck on the helmet by Kagiso Rabada in Darwin, has been ruled out of the third T20I. Though the 23-year-old had passed an on-field assessment after being hit on the grille, he was reported delayed symptoms after being dismissed. Following the protocol, he will enter a mandatory stand-down period of at least 12 days and is most likely to miss out on the 1st ODI as well, which would have marked his debut in the format.
Meanwhile, pacer Lance Morris and all-rounder Matt Short will also miss the ODI series, which starts next Tuesday. Cricket Australia has called Aaron Hardie, Cooper Connolly and Matt Kuhnemann into the squad.
Earlier, Josh Inglis was benched for the second T20I with ‘flu-like’ symptoms. His absence led to a call-up to Alex Carey, who played his first match in the format since 2021.
Morris complained of back soreness while preparing for the series that was supposed to mark his return to international cricket. He has now gone back to Perth for further medical checks, and his chances of playing in the four-day part of the Australia A tour of India look uncertain.
On the other hand, Short is still recovering from the side strain he picked up during the West Indies tour. Initially, he was ruled out of just the first two T20Is against South Africa, but now it’s confirmed that he won’t be able to play the remaining games of the tour.
The 3-match ODI series is currently poised 1-1 after South Africa found the equaliser with a 53-run victory on Tuesday. The decider will take place in Cairns on Saturday. The venue will further host the opening ODI on August 19, with the final two matches to be played on August 22 and 24 in Mackay.
A cricket enthusiast whose dreams of playing for India paved the way for a compelling journey in journalism. With a comprehensive coverage spanning international and domestic cricket across formats, I have had …Read More
A cricket enthusiast whose dreams of playing for India paved the way for a compelling journey in journalism. With a comprehensive coverage spanning international and domestic cricket across formats, I have had … Read More
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