Gutted to be ruled out of series vs India, Broad shifts focus to Ashes
LONDON: After being ruled out of the ongoing home Test series against India due to a calf injury, a “gutted” Stuart Broad said he will take his time to recuperate and prepare for the Ashes, scheduled to begin in December.
The England seamer sustained a tear to his right calf during a warm up on Tuesday. He underwent an MRI scan in London on Wednesday lunchtime, which revealed a tear.
“Things can change so quickly. A moment before training all smiles then during the warm up, I jumped a hurdle, landed a bit awkwardly on my right ankle then the next step felt like I’d been whipped by a rope as hard as you can imagine on the back of my leg,” Broad wrote on his Instagram account.
“I actually turned to @jimmya9 (James Anderson) & asked why he whipped me! but when I realised he was no where near me I knew I was in trouble.
“Scans say grade 3 calf. All so innocuous. Season over & gutted to miss this India Test Series but a huge focus on Australia now. Going to take my time, no rush, baby steps & be the fittest I can be heading out there. Big focus in my brain,” he added.
The 35-year-old had picked one wicket in the rain-curtailed first Test that ended in a draw last week.
Broad was on the verge of playing his milestone 150th Test. England take on India in the second Test at Lord’s from Thursday.
Langer in confrontation with CA staffer
SYDNEY: Australia head coach Justin langer was reportedly involved in a confrontation with a Cricket Australia staffer over a video posted on the board’s website, showing the Bangladesh players celebrating their maiden series win against the tourists last week.
According to ‘The Sydney Morning Herald’, Langer and Australia team manager Gavin Dovey “became animated” in relation to a video added to the cricket.com.au website, after the third match, which Bangladesh won, taking a 3-0 lead in the recently concluded five-match Twenty20 series. The hosts won the five-match T20I series 4-1.
The matter was initially raised by Dovey with the Cricket Australia digital staffer but when the latter stood his ground, the matter escalated and Langer subsequently confronted the staff member shortly afterwards.
“Dovey had argued that it was inappropriate for the Bangladesh team song to be posted on a CA-operated website,” the report said.
“...the incidents were witnessed by at least a dozen people and left some players taken aback and with a sense of unease about what had transpired,” it added.
While Langer refrained from commenting on the issue, Dovey said: “A healthy team environment includes the ability to have honest and frank discussions, whether it be between players, support staff or others within the team environment, which was the case here. There was a difference of opinion, and we agreed to disagree on a particular matter. In hindsight, it was one of those instances which should have taken place in private. I take full ownership of that.”
CA had two digital media operators in Bangladesh, the only travelling journalists with the team on their two-legged tour of the West Indies and Bangladesh.
South Africa without trio for ODI series in SL
COLOMBO: South Africa will be without a number of key players for their three ODIs in Sri Lanka next month, but expect their big guns to return for the T20 series that follows as they build towards the World Cup in the United Arab Emirates.
South Africa play three ODIs here from September 2-7, but will be without leading batsman Quinton de Kock (rested), powerful middle-order hitter David Miller (hamstring injury) and seamer Lungi Ngidi (personal reasons).
All-rounder Dwaine Pretorius will return to the squads for both series after an injury lay-off that saw him miss successful tours to West Indies and Ireland in recent months. The missing trio have been included in the expanded 19-man squad for the T20 matches.