Five first choice players will be missing for Australia when they take on the BLACKCAPS at the Gabba in the first Test of the Trans-Tasman series.
Ryan Harris (pelvis injury), Shane Watson (hamstring strain), Shaun Marsh (back injury), Mitchell Johnson (foot injury) and Pat Cummins (heal injury) will also miss the match with Cricket Australia General Manager Team Performance Pat Howard describing the injury toll as ‘unfortunate’.
“With such a short turnaround time between series, five players who were involved in the series will not fully recover in time to play the first Vodafone Test against New Zealand,” said Howard.
In a Cricket Australia press release team physiotherapist Alex Kountouris said:
Ryan Harris
“Ryan Harris is recovering from the pelvis injury that kept him out of the second Test against South Africa. He is making good progress but has not returned to bowling as yet and is therefore unavailable to play the first Vodafone Test against New Zealand. A decision on his return to training will be made early next week and will determine his return to playing.”
Shane Watson
“Shane Watson has not fully recovered from a hamstring strain sustained in the second Test against South Africa earlier this week. He is making good progress and will be reviewed next week to determine his availability.”
Shaun Marsh
“Shaun Marsh has made significant progress from the back injury he sustained in South Africa. He has not returned to training as yet and will continue to have intensive treatment. We are hopeful that he will return to training sometime next week and possibly be available for selection for the second Vodafone Test.”
Mitchell Johnson
“Mitchell Johnson injured his left foot while batting in the second innings of the second Test against South Africa earlier this week. His foot was considerably swollen and painful after the game but he is showing early signs of improvement. He will not return to training in time to be fit for the Gabba. His return to training and playing will be clearer in coming days after he is assessed by a foot specialist in Perth and the swelling has had a chance to resolve.”
Pat Cummins
“Pat Cummins experienced left heel pain towards the end of the second innings in his debut Test match. He had scans that have cleared him of any serious injury but we don’t expect that he will fully recover in time. He will be reviewed early next week to determine his workload plan for the summer.”
