Watson Lined Up For Finals
Sydney Morning Herald
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 suffered by Andrew Symonds.
Watson was initially slated to make his comeback for Australia during the Chappell-Hadlee series, which begins at the conclusion of the one-day finals. But Symonds's 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 [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 2-18. That followed a Pura Cup match last week in which he claimed 3-60 from 12 overs against Western Australia.Symonds's injury, meanwhile, will prompt selectors into a rethink ahead of 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 out. He could return for the second half of the World Cup, but the more likely outcome is that he will miss the whole tournament.Australian team physiotherapist Alex Kountouris confirmed the biceps tendon had been ripped from the bone at the shoulder joint. The tendon was reattached using a screw."His tendon was probably a bit worse than we expected," Kountouris told Channel Nine. "It was completely ruptured off the bone. But the surgery went really well."He said it was too early to speculate about the timing of Symonds's return, 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," Kountouris said. "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."Athletes who have suffered ruptured biceps tendons have reported different recovery times. Mo Vaughan, the former Anaheim Angels baseballer, was ruled out for an entire season with a similar injury to Symonds's. But John Elway, the Super Bowl-winning former 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, at this stage, seem to be bracing for a longer-term problem. "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. It's a bit premature to say what we'll do at this stage, but we'll probably have a talk to Ricky [Ponting] tomorrow and get a better idea of where we're positioned." Michael Vaughan is expected to return for England in tomorrow's match against New Zealand at the Gabba after successfully testing his hamstring during the past five days. He will be cleared to take on the Black Caps if he completes a net session today.
© 2007 Sydney Morning Herald
Share This