Australian opener Travis Head will miss the first half of the upcoming ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup in India due to a fractured hand sustained during the series against South Africa. This setback has provided an opportunity for Marnus Labuschagne to potentially make a comeback into the national squad.
Head suffered a fracture in his left hand when he was hit by a rising delivery from South African paceman Gerald Coetzee during Australia’s fourth ODI run chase in Pretoria. While Head won’t require surgery, his recovery is expected to take more than a month, making his participation in the early stages of the World Cup uncertain.
Australia’s coach, Andrew McDonald, stated, “The timeframe is still a bit uncertain at the moment, but the good news is he doesn’t need surgery as it stands. There will be an extended period of time out, and we have to decide whether that period aligns with the front half of the World Cup. There’s no doubt he won’t be available for the initial part, so that’s a decision we’ll have to make for the final 15-player squad. But I can’t provide an exact time frame.”
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Travis Head’s injury has created an opportunity for Marnus Labuschagne, who emerged as the leading run-scorer in the South Africa series with 283 runs at an average of 70.75. McDonald hinted that Labuschagne is likely to be included in the World Cup squad, saying, “I can’t speak for the selection panel and confirm his spot in the World Cup 15, but it’s certainly looking likely. He has significantly improved his intent at the crease, putting more pressure on the bowlers than he did a year ago. He has a strike rate of around 100 in this series. We know Marnus is a quality player, and although he didn’t have the one-day cricket exposure he would have liked over the past 12-18 months, he has certainly seized this opportunity.”
During the fifth and final ODI against South Africa, Australia faced two more injury concerns, with pacers Nathan Ellis and Sean Abbott suffering fresh injuries. Ellis sustained an adductor strain, preventing him from completing his spell, while Abbott split the webbing on a finger but managed to finish his spell. McDonald indicated that Abbott should be fit to face India in the upcoming series. Aaron Hardie will travel to India as cover for the injured pair.
Teams participating in the World Cup have until the September 28 deadline to make changes to their squads.