David Warner ruled out of tri-series with broken finger

Australian opening batsman David Warner has been ruled out of the ongoing tri-series in West Indies with a broken left index finger he suffered while fielding during the game against South Africa on Saturday in St Kitts.

Team doctor Geoffrey Verrall, said that there is a fracture visible in the X-ray and his recovery period depends on whether he requires surgery or not.

“The X-Ray showed an intra-articular fracture of the distal phalanx of the index finger of the left hand – the top part of that finger,” Verrall said. “We will assess the situation over the coming days to see if the injury requires a surgical option but should that not be the case then David is likely to be available to return to play in somewhere between two and six weeks.”

The left-handed opener had carried his good form from the Indian Premier League (IPL) into his national colors. Currently, he is the leading run-getter in the series with 165 runs, which included a century and an unbeaten half-century.

“It’s obviously disappointing to be sidelined given the form I’ve been in and given the important stage, the tri-series is at, but it’s always important to look at the positives,” Warner said. “This downtime, however long or short it is, will give me the chance to freshen up and spend quality time with my family after an intense period of action.”

Also Read: Tri-Series 2016, Match 5 Preview: Windies run into Australian roadblock

Australia’s interim coach Justin Langer quoted Warner’s loss as a “double blow”. “It’s doubly disappointing to have David Warner sidelined because of his outstanding form plus his attitude and professionalism around the group which has been a joy to work with,” he said. “But we’ve spoken from day one of this tour about every single person in the squad contributing to our success.”

“I’ve encouraged the players not in the starting eleven to be ready at all times because you never know when opportunities might come. One of the boys will now get that opportunity in David’s absence.”

Usman Khawaja is likely to open the innings with Aaron Finch in their next match against West Indies on 13th June.