Symonds Injury Opens Door For Watson's Return
The Age
Monday February 5, 2007
AUSTRALIA'S chairman of selectors, Andrew Hilditch, will today consult medical staff about the prospect of rushing Shane Watson into the national squad for the limited-overs finals series, following the long-term injury to Andrew Symonds.
Watson was initially slated to make his comeback for Australia during the Chappell-Hadlee series in New Zealand, which starts at the end of the one-day finals. But Symonds' ruptured biceps tendon, which required surgery yesterday and will likely rule him out of the World Cup, coupled with Watson's encouraging recent form in grade and state cricket, has prompted selectors to ponder an early international return for the blond all-rounder. "The key thing for us is that he (Watson) is fit for the World Cup and we won't do anything to compromise that," Hilditch said. "But it's probably fair to say that at this stage he is going a bit better than was first thought. He has also bowled a few more overs than was planned. "We'll probably pick the squad for the finals tomorrow and we'll get an update from his doctor before we do. The last time we spoke to his doctor, it was his preference that he target the Chappell-Hadlee series. He still hasn't played much cricket this season." Watson last week declared himself available for the finals series, and did his cause no harm by completing another 15 overs in a Brisbane grade match on Saturday, returning figures of 2-18. That followed a Pura Cup match last week, in which he claimed 3-60 from 12 overs against Western Australia. Still, should medical staff deem Watson not yet ready for the rigours of international cricket, selectors may call on another Queensland all-rounder, James Hopes, for the finals. Hopes, who has played nine one-day internationals for Australia, has taken a league-leading 19 wickets and scored a solid 273 runs in the domestic limited-overs competition this season. Symonds' injury will force selectors into a major rethink before the announcement of Australia's 15-man World Cup squad before the ICC's February 13 deadline. Though the surgery performed by Melbourne specialist Greg Hoy was deemed a success yesterday, Symonds is still facing an extended period on the sidelines. He could possibly return to fitness in time for the second half of the World Cup, but the more likely scenario is that he will miss the entire tournament. Australian team physiotherapist Alex Kountouris confirmed that Symonds' biceps tendon had been torn from the bone at the shoulder joint. The tendon was reattached using a screw. "His tendon was probably a bit worse than we expected. It was completely ruptured off the bone. But the surgery went really well," Kountouris told Channel Nine. He said it was too early to speculate about the timing of Symonds' return to cricket, which would be determined by his recovery from the operation and his response to intense physiotherapy. Symonds remained in hospital last night. "It's going to be tough for the World Cup. They tend to take a little bit of time to recover but we are not really looking at that right now. We just want to see how it goes over the next couple of weeks," Kountouris said. Athletes who have ruptured biceps tendons have reported vastly different recovery times. In the case of Mo Vaughan, the former Anaheim Angels baseballer, a similar injury to Symonds' ruled him out for an entire season. But John Elway, the Superbowl-winning Denver Broncos quarterback, made a prompt return from a completely torn biceps tendon in his throwing arm during the 1997 season. Australia's medical staff appear to be bracing for a longer-term scenario. "To say that losing Andrew is a significant blow is an understatement," Hilditch said. "He is a critical member of the team and is probably one of the best one-day international players in the world. His aggressive batting, flexible bowling and outstanding fielding are going to be difficult to replace."
© 2007 The Age
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