Australia have suffered a huge setback for the World Cup as their key all-rounder James Faulkner will miss their opening match against England at Melbourne on February 14th. His subsequent involvement in the tournament also remains unclear after the scans showed that he has suffered a side-strain.
Faulkner, who has filled the role of a finisher for Australia with both bat and ball for quite a long time now, sustained the injury while bowling in the final of the Carlton Mid-ODI Series against England, which Australia won by 112 runs. Faulkner then underwent scans and Australia’s Bupa Support Team physiotherapist Alex Kountouris confirmed today that Faulkner would be out for atleast two weeks with “a moderate level” strain.
Kountouris said:
“He (Faulkner) will receive intensive treatment for the next two weeks before we can determine when he can return to batting and bowling.
“Side strains are notoriously problematic for fast bowlers and often require four to six weeks on the sidelines for fear of suffering a recurrence if players return prematurely.
“But the fact Faulkner’s injury has been diagnosed as a “moderate” strain has raised some hopes that he might be able to shorten that recommended recovery time.”