Elbow injury rules Glenn Maxwell out of South Africa tour

Glenn Maxwell, the veteran Australia all-rounder, has been ruled out of the upcoming tour of South Africa owing to an elbow injury. The Victorian was picked in both the ODI and T20I squads, but now he is set to undergo surgery on his left elbow on Thursday in Melbourne. The 31-year-old Maxwell reported pain in his joint and scans put forth loose bone fragments.

The operation is expected to keep him on the sidelines for six to eight weeks. It was the first time Maxwell was picked in the Aussies squad after he went on a sabbatical in October 2019 to address his mental health issues. Maxwell missed out on the ODI series against India and captained the Melbourne Stars to the final of the 2019-20 Big Bash League (BBL).

“We are disappointed to lose Glenn this close to the tour as we were looking forward to welcoming him back to the national side in both the 20- and 50-over formats after his break during the summer,” Trevor Hohns, the Australia National Selector, was quoted as saying in cricket.com.au.

“Unfortunately, the pain he has experienced in the elbow in the latter stages of the BBL increased over the weekend and he will have surgery immediately to rectify the situation,” he added.

D’Arcy Short named replacement

In the meantime, D’Arcy Short has been called up for both the squads. “An opportunity has now presented itself for D’Arcy and we’re confident he’ll make the most of whatever opportunities come his way in South Africa,” Hohns said.

Short was a part of the India tour as well after fast bowler Sean Abbott was ruled out. Short recently plied his trade for the Hobart Hurricanes, scoring 357 runs in nine matches at a strike-rate of 131.25. His top score of an unbeaten 103 came against the Perth Scorchers. He also finished with six wickets, including a five-wicket haul versus the Sydney Thunder.

Meanwhile, Marcus Stoinis, the leading run-scorer of the last BBL, remains to be ignored. When Australia’s ODI squad was named, Hohns said that he was a standby player. “(Stoinis) was unlucky to miss out due to the makeup of the current top order. It is terrific to have a backup player of his calibre in such good form,” Hohns added.

After missing out on the South Africa tour, Glenn Maxwell also dropped a tweet, expressing his grief.

Shattered to be missing the South Africa tour. I wish all the lads the best of luck over there and I’ll be watching from home!
Thanks for all the wishes of support ❤️ https://t.co/cQNqH7P7hm

— Glenn Maxwell (@Gmaxi_32) February 12, 2020