Injuries [Maxwell, Head.]

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Sam Harper hit in head, hospitalised after practising ramp shot in nets.

No monkey involved.

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Mr NickIt, Khawaja, nicked off yet again in the 1st innings. But in the 2nd, he

'ducked into a delivery and then walked away from the pitch after the blow spitting blood. He was examined on the field by Cricket Australia medical staff and then left the ground.

Khawaja passed his concussion tests post-play. He left the ground after the Test match to go to hospital for precautionary scans on his jaw.

“Usman Khawaja has been cleared of a fractured jaw and will be monitored for any delayed concussion symptoms leading into the second Test against the West Indies in Brisbane,” Cricket Australia said in a statement.'

(The Age)

Kraigg Brathwaite is quoted saying “Unfortunate – he bit his tongue as well.”

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Travis Head has COVID again...

Sheesh... Where is he spending his free time?

"Head fell ill after the Adelaide Test ... and was subsequently found to have COVID.

While the team was set to reconvene in Brisbane on Monday to prepare for Thursday’s day/night Test, Head will spend an extra night at home in the hope he will test negative by the time he joins the team.

However, if Head is still testing positive, he will be able to train and play under isolation protocols demonstrated when fellow squad member Matt Renshaw discovered he had COVID in the minutes before the start of last year’s SCG Test against South Africa."

(Brettig, The Age)


Mr NickIt, Khawaja, has been cleared to play.


And Pucovski was hit on the helmet, retired hurt, but returned later, scoring 89.


"Accident-prone Australian white-ball star Glenn Maxwell was taken to hospital after falling while watching former Australian players perform with pub band Six and Out at a sold-out venue in Adelaide last Friday.

An ambulance was called to The Governor Hindmarsh after Maxwell fell and lost consciousness..."

(Brettig, Conn)

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Media reckon Maxwell has an alcohol problem.

e.g. Webster:

Glenn Maxwell must know it's time to stop drinking

https://www.smh.com.au/sport/cricket/i-ve-had-a-drink-with-glenn-maxwell-he-was-great-company-but-it-s-time-to-stop-20240123-p5ezcf.html

.......................................................


At the 1st Test, Tim May talked about his alcohol battles:

https://www.smh.com.au/sport/cricket/tim-may-s-journey-of-battling-alcohol-cancer-and-the-west-indies-20240115-p5exdn.html

[Pies4shaw]

But - can he post on-topic in a thread on Nick's? That's the real question.

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'Maxwell ... was in the headlines for the wrong reasons when he passed out at a gig by the band Six and Out in Adelaide last month, having been drinking after playing a round of golf in searing heat.

He was taken to the emergency room of a hospital via ambulance and was later released without being admitted.

His manager Ben Tippett said at the time Maxwell was a “little bit embarrassed” by the incident, while his great mate – and former housemate – Finch said on Monday that Maxwell has had time to reflect.

“He seems in really good spirits. It wasn’t ideal timing for him. He’s got a tight group around him that help him out a lot. I think it would have been a good time for him to reflect on it, too,” Finch said.'

(Pierik, The Age)

[Pies4shaw]

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Kyle Jamieson is out for another year with stress fractures in his back.

Lucky for Oz. But bad news for cricket.

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Brettig:

"New Zealand have other injury concerns. Opening batter Devon Conway is nursing an injured thumb and did not bat on Tuesday, with Stead indicating that he may need to wear a special thumb guard to play. Will Young is the young batter in line to come in if Conway is not passed fit.

Rachin Ravindra eased doubts about soreness in his left knee by completing a net session on Tuesday."

(The Age)

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Conway missed the first Test.

And for the second Test Will O'Rourke's "in doubt after experiencing hamstring tightness on day three".

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And Will Pucovski has been hit and concussed yet again.

Sports doc Peter Brukner sounds like he wants Puck to retire.


M. Conn:

'Pucovski, 26, who suffered his 12th concussion according to Cricket Australia figures, ducked into a short ball from Riley Meredith and then buckled at the knees and went to ground.

Medical staff ran onto the field as Pucovski, 26, lay on the ground for some time before gingerly getting to his feet. He was eventually able to walk from the ground unassisted.

“I’m giving a lecture on concussion this weekend, and I was talking to someone about it,” Brukner said. “I was reminded of the fact pre-helmets, almost no one got hit in the head. And now there’s not a Test match that goes by without a hit in the helmet. What’s changed?”

The first movement of players pre-helmets was usually back and across to step inside the short ball. Since helmets players tend to push forward looking to score more freely off the front foot.

“Now they feel as though they’re indestructible,” Brukner said. “They can just look at the ball straight on and if they miss it hits their helmet. Even talking to the players who straddled the pre- and post-helmet era, they’ll say the same thing, they rarely got hit until they wore a helmet.

“I’m not suggesting we give helmets away, but we need to think about technique.” '

(SMH)

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Bancroft (concussion - bike accident) missed the Sheffield Shield final.

Behrendorff (broken leg - batting in the nets) is out of the IPL.

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Scot Boland has had scans for a "recurrent foot issue".