Big Bash off limits while Reed bounces back from injury

GEELONG quick Jake Reed has been ruled out of the Big Bash League as he recovers from injury.

Reed will return to cricket in a fortnight, joining former Australian Test spinner Brad Hogg in the Cats’ Victorian Premier Cricket T20 double header next weekend.

Geelong coach Andre Borovec last night confirmed Reed and Hogg would play against Prahran and Footscray, but miss the opening T20 games.

Hogg was a chance to play for Geelong this weekend, in his first appearance in blue and white in 2017-18, but Borovec said he would remain at home in Western Australia.

“Hopefully, he can get some cricket in at home this weekend, and with a bit of match practice under his belt, he can play for us,” Borovec said.

“That’s the plan. Reedy’s best case is to play as a bat next weekend and we’re hoping he’ll be available for the first red-ball game after the T20 series to have a bowl.”

Reed previously pencilled a return for the first round of the T20 series, but after discussions with the Bushrangers medical team, he will delay his comeback with the ball.

He has also ruled himself out of the coming BBL with the Hobart Hurricanes.

“He will stay and play with us exclusively, just to get some continuity,” Borovec said of Reed.

“He will just be a weekend cricketer for a while, where he will play, recover, play, recover and just have that consistency, because understandably if he did play Big Bash with limited prep, he’d be underdone.”