Australia have suffered another setback ahead of their three-match T20I series in New Zealand, starting October 1 in Mount Maunganui. Wicketkeeper-batter Josh Inglis has been ruled out after scans confirmed a right calf strain. Alex Carey has been called in as his replacement for the fixtures on October 1, 3, and 4.
Inglis felt discomfort in his calf following a run in Perth on Tuesday, and subsequent scans on Wednesday revealed the injury. This is the second time in nine months that Inglis has faced a calf issue—he had earlier missed part of the Big Bash League due to a mild strain.
The 29-year-old is now targeting a comeback for the ODI series against India, which begins on October 19. “It’s an ongoing thing. It’s sort of been around for a couple years now. For me, it’s been really frustrating,” Inglis told ESPNcricinfo.
Australia were already without Pat Cummins, Cameron Green, and Nathan Ellis for the New Zealand series, making Inglis’ absence another major blow to their preparations.
The wicketkeeper-batter also opened up about how recurring back problems have affected his ability to train consistently.
“It’s not been something that’s really kept me out of the game. It’s just something I’ve got to manage. So at the minute, I’mnot really able to bat as much as I’d like, so I’m not able to spend the time in the nets to be able to work on new things,” he said.
Australia T20I squad against New Zealand
Mitchell Marsh (C), Sean Abbott, Xavier Bartlett, Alex Carey, Tim David, Ben Dwarshuis, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Matt Kuhnemann, Glenn Maxwell, Mitchell Owen, Matthew Short, Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa
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