Australia faces a setback, as opener Travis Head’s participation in the upcoming World Cup is in jeopardy due to a hand injury sustained in Friday’s ODI against South Africa. The left-handed batter was struck by a Gerald Coetzee bouncer in the fourth ODI, resulting in a fracture of his left hand, as confirmed by Australia’s head coach Andrew McDonald.
“It’s a confirmed fracture but as to the nature of the break and what sort of timeframe to heal, that will be assessed. He’s going to go in for some more scans tomorrow… We have fingers crossed, clearly, with the World Cup fast approaching,” said the Australia coach.
The extent and healing time for the fracture will be assessed through further scans. With the World Cup approaching, there is hope that Head’s recovery will be swift, but the situation remains uncertain.
Head has been in outstanding form this year, making 241 runs in seven ODI innings at an impressive average of 48.20 and a remarkable strike rate of 141.76. In the ongoing series, he has contributed 152 runs at a strike rate of 153.54.
Overall, Head has 2,064 runs in 58 ODIs, averaging 40.47, with a strike rate of 99.52, including 15 half-centuries and three centuries. While Head is part of Australia’s provisional 15-member World Cup squad, teams have until September 28 to submit their final 15.