Short gets call-up for Africa trip

NATIONAL selectors have called up Hobart Hurricane D’Arcy Short after Glenn Maxwell was booked in for elbow surgery that will force him to miss this month’s tour of South Africa.

Short will fly out later this week after replacing Maxwell in Australia’s Twenty20 and ODI squads.

Maxwell will have arthroscopic surgery today and spend six to eight weeks on the sidelines, suggesting he will be racing the clock to be fit for this year’s Indian Premier League.

Scans revealed some loose fragments of bone within Maxwell’s elbow joint. It is an untimely setback for the star, who hasn’t played for Australia since October 2019.

Maxwell took a mentalhealth break early in the season but returned with a bang during the BBL.

ALLAN Border medallist David Warner says he has “well and truly” learnt his lesson as he prepares to head back to the scene of his greatest cricketing crime in South Africa amid expectations of a hostile reception.

Australia’s last tour of the rainbow nation was marred not only by the sandpaper scandal, which cost Warner a 12-month suspension and a lifetime leadership ban, but a slew of other incidents.

The fiery opener, known as “Bull”, was involved in a corridor stoush with now Proteas captain Quinton de Kock, with sideline microphones picking up Warner calling his opponent a “Bush Pig”.

A viciously agitated Warner then had to be restrained and pushed in to the changerooms at Durban as he tried to get at de Kock, an incident which cost the Australian a $13,500 fine and three demerit points.

It later emerged that Warner’s wife, Candice, had been the subject of abuse from South African players and the crowd. The South African cricket board also had to apologise after two members of staff were photographed wearing Sonny Bill Williams masks, a taunt related to an infamous encounter between Warner’s wife and the rugby player well over 10 years ago.

Star England all-rounder Ben Stokes was fined 15 per cent of his match fee last month after a foul-mouthed tirade against a spectator in Johannesburg who taunted him, a forecast of what could face Warner.