Ashes: Coulter-Nile injured again
SYDNEY: Australian fast bowler Nathan Coulter-Nile will take a “short break” after suffering a fresh back problem, Cricket Australia said on Friday, probably ruling him out of the coming Ashes series.
Coulter-Nile, 30, has a history of spinal stress fractures and the latest setback appears to end his chances of being a back-up to Australia’s pace trio Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins against England.
“Nathan experienced some pain in his back following the two-day tour match against England last week,” CA’s sports medicine manager Alex Kountouris said.
“Subsequent scans have revealed an early stage aggravation of his old stress fracture.
“Whilst this is a setback, the good news is that it has been picked up early so we are only considering a short break from bowling while we monitor him.”
Kountouris said Coulter-Nile will have further scans over the next month to determine when he can return to bowling. The five-Test Ashes series starts on November 23.
Coulter-Nile has yet to play a Test match, but has made 21 one-day and 19 T20 international appearance for Australia.
BALL OUT OF TOUR GAME
ADELAIDE: Ahead of the first Ashes Test from November 23, England’s injury list is getting longer with each passing day as pacer Jake Ball -- with an ankle injury -- was on Friday ruled out from the rest of the four-day tour match against a Cricket Australia XI here.
Ball hurt himself after falling awkwardly just four overs into his opening bowling spell on Thursday, the second day of the match.
The Nottinghamshire pacer was forced to withdraw from the day-night fixture and had a scan on Friday to determine the damage to his right ankle.
Ball’s injury came just two days after another seamer, Steven Finn, had to leave the tour because of torn cartilage in his left knee, and his replacement Tom Curran is due to arrive in Australia later on Friday.
Spin-bowling all-rounder Moeen Ali, meanwhile, is yet to feature in the warm-up matches as he continues to struggle with a side strain.
Suspended all-rounder Ben Stokes is unable to fly out to Australia while the investigation surrounding his recent arrest in Bristol remains ongoing.