Australian cricket fans have reason to cheer as middle-order batter Travis Head makes a remarkable recovery from a hand injury, setting his sights on joining the national team’s World Cup campaign in India. Head returned to the practice nets on Sunday after having his protective splint removed from his fractured left hand.
The injury occurred when the South Australian cricketer was struck by a fiery delivery from South African pacer Gerald Coetzee during the pre-World Cup preparations in Centurion. While he may miss Australia’s upcoming fixture against Pakistan on Friday in Bengaluru, Head is hopeful about participating in the clash against the Netherlands scheduled for October 25 in Delhi, provided he passes a fitness test.
Head’s rehabilitation journey has been faster than initially expected, as he chose to forgo surgery, which would have entailed a 10-week recovery period. “When we decided not to go with surgery, which would have meant a 10-week recovery, we were told it would be a minimum of six weeks with the splint before we could look at playing again,” Head stated. “Going by that plan, the Netherlands game will be just under six weeks from impact, which is a pretty aggressive date, so everything would have to go perfectly from here to make that deadline,” he added.
Despite his progress, Head remains cautious about his ability to field, mentioning, “I’m not sure what it will mean for fielding. We haven’t explored that yet. There’s still a few hurdles we need to clear, and everything needs to fall into place from my end and from the team’s point of view over there before the final decision is made.”
Australia is yet to secure a victory in the ongoing World Cup and currently occupies the ninth position on the 10-team table after suffering defeats in their initial matches. Head’s potential return could provide a significant boost to the team’s batting lineup and improve their chances of achieving success in the tournament. Cricket enthusiasts eagerly await Head’s full recovery and his potential inclusion in the squad as Australia continues its quest for World Cup glory.
