Australia Hamstrung! Now Hussey is out...
Posted: Mon Sep 24, 2007 12:58 pmFirst Ponting, then Watson (no suprise...), now Hussey! Haddin and Hodge also have hamstring soreness as well! Are the Aussies getting too old? Read below:
Australia lose Hussey for India tour
Australia's injury concerns have worsened ahead of their limited-overs tour of India with Michael Hussey ruled out of the trip with a strained left hamstring. Hussey is the third Australian to come out of the ICC World Twenty20 carrying a hamstring injury with Shane Watson already missing the India tour and Ricky Ponting expected to sit out the opening games.
James Hopes will join the squad in Watson's place while a replacement for Hussey will be announced in the next two days. Hussey suffered his problem during the loss to India on Saturday and Alex Kountouris, the team physio, said it was unusual for Australia to experience so many soft-tissue injuries.
"There is no one separate reason for the problem," Kountouris said. "But it is possible that the hectic nature of Twenty20 cricket combined with soft grounds and the high frequency of travel may have provided the additional stress required to cause injury in players who are at the start of their cricketing season and therefore lack conditioning.
"Mike Hussey has strained his left hamstring and that will keep him out of the Indian series. He will continue to be assessed over the next 48 hours in South Africa before returning home to continue his rehabilitation."
Kountouris also said there had been question-marks over Brad Hodge and Brad Haddin, both with hamstring soreness. He said the pair was "hanging by a thread" and Hodge might not have played had Australia reached the Twenty20 final. "He will be right in a week," Kountouris said. "He's just hanging in there. It's just sore and tight so I think it will be fine."
Australia will initially be without Nathan Bracken in India, as he has been granted leave to return home as his wife prepares to give birth to their first child. Andrew Hilditch, the chairman of selectors, said Bracken was unlikely to miss the whole tour.
"It is anticipated Nathan will rejoin the squad in India as soon as possible," Hilditch said. "At this stage no replacement player has been called upon and we will take this on a day-by-day basis."
The squad is scheduled to fly straight to India from South Africa on Tuesday ahead of the seven ODI series. The first match is at Bangalore on Saturday.
Australia lose Hussey for India tour
Australia's injury concerns have worsened ahead of their limited-overs tour of India with Michael Hussey ruled out of the trip with a strained left hamstring. Hussey is the third Australian to come out of the ICC World Twenty20 carrying a hamstring injury with Shane Watson already missing the India tour and Ricky Ponting expected to sit out the opening games.
James Hopes will join the squad in Watson's place while a replacement for Hussey will be announced in the next two days. Hussey suffered his problem during the loss to India on Saturday and Alex Kountouris, the team physio, said it was unusual for Australia to experience so many soft-tissue injuries.
"There is no one separate reason for the problem," Kountouris said. "But it is possible that the hectic nature of Twenty20 cricket combined with soft grounds and the high frequency of travel may have provided the additional stress required to cause injury in players who are at the start of their cricketing season and therefore lack conditioning.
"Mike Hussey has strained his left hamstring and that will keep him out of the Indian series. He will continue to be assessed over the next 48 hours in South Africa before returning home to continue his rehabilitation."
Kountouris also said there had been question-marks over Brad Hodge and Brad Haddin, both with hamstring soreness. He said the pair was "hanging by a thread" and Hodge might not have played had Australia reached the Twenty20 final. "He will be right in a week," Kountouris said. "He's just hanging in there. It's just sore and tight so I think it will be fine."
Australia will initially be without Nathan Bracken in India, as he has been granted leave to return home as his wife prepares to give birth to their first child. Andrew Hilditch, the chairman of selectors, said Bracken was unlikely to miss the whole tour.
"It is anticipated Nathan will rejoin the squad in India as soon as possible," Hilditch said. "At this stage no replacement player has been called upon and we will take this on a day-by-day basis."
The squad is scheduled to fly straight to India from South Africa on Tuesday ahead of the seven ODI series. The first match is at Bangalore on Saturday.
