Worst fears confirmed
ELBOW PROBLEM: PROTEAS CAPTAIN FAILS FITNESS TEST
De Villiers now hoping to return for Sri Lanka series.
AB de Villiers will miss both the ODI and Test series against Australia over the next two months after it was decided yesterday that the South African captain requires surgical attention for his chronic elbow problem.
De Villiers batted in the nets at St Stithians College yesterday with his left elbow heavily strapped and still had problems playing cuts and full-blooded pulls, occasionally taking the top hand off the bat.
“Unfortunately AB failed to come through his fitness test. The physio strapped his elbow and although it did provide some relief, he still felt pain on some shots and felt he was batting at about 80%. AB is such a complete cricketer and he wants to make sure that he’s not restricted in any way,” team manager and doctor Mohammed Moosajee said yesterday.
“It’s an impingement in the elbow that makes it extremely painful to play certain shots, extending and then straightening the arm is the problem. He’s had rest, treatment and cortisone administered directly into the joint by a specialist.
“In most cases it comes right in six weeks, but that didn’t take place. Even an extra week made no difference and it’s not going to get any better even if we wait until the Tests against Australia in November.
“So we have scheduled surgery for early next week, they will go in and clean out the area, and we are hopeful he will be available for the Sri Lanka series because the recovery period is eight to 10 weeks.”
The absence of De Villiers will put more pressure on South Africa during the middle overs, the Proteas limping from 187/1 after 30 overs to 238/3 after 40 overs in the game against Ireland’s popgun attack last weekend.
But only the most po-faced of critics would not have been impressed by how Farhaan Behardien and JP Duminy then finished the innings, allowing the Proteas to post 354/5 in their 50 overs.
“It’s not really a concern, but those overs are something we’re looking at to improve, it’s something we have identified. It’s about executing our game plans and it depends on how many wickets are down and the match situation. But it is a crucial part of the match in big games and we want to capitalise in that 10-over spell, while other teams often look past those overs,” Duminy said yesterday.