Good news for Australia, spinner Kuhnemann cleared for Sri Lanka cricket tour

ND Prashant
24 Jan 2025
13:33

Things continue to turn in favour of the Australian men's cricket as it received another good news on Friday. Spinner Matthew Kuhnemann has been cleared to join the squad for the Tour of Sri Lanka starting on January 29, Cricket Australia informed on Friday.

This is the second such recovery by a player picked for Sri Lanka to get fitness clearance following an injury threat. Earlier captain Steve Smith had suffered an injury during the pre-season camp in the United Arab Emirates but was later cleared by Cricket Australia's medics to lead the team in Sri Lanka.

In the case of Kuhnemann, the left-arm spin bowler fractured his right thumb during Brisbane Heat's five-wicket loss to Hobart Hurricanes last Thursday. Kuhnemann was rushed to the hospital by his Heat teammate Daniel Drew after suffering a dislocated thumb. 

The injury was treated that night, with the dislocation put back, followed by surgery the next morning to insert a pin into the fracture.
Despite the injury setback, Kuhnemann has made a swift recovery and bowled eight overs at Allan Border Field in Brisbane on Thursday. CA said Kuhnemann has been able to bowl this week following surgery to repair the fracture.
The injury forced Kuhnemann to miss Australia's ongoing training camp at the ICC Academy in Dubai, instead remaining in Australia to allow his surgical wound to heal.

Matthew Kuhnemann
Matthew Kuhnemann

CA said that Kuhnemann will join the squad in Sri Lanka over the weekend along with young Victorian batter and under-19 World Cup player Oliver Peake who has been invited as a development player. Smith had earlier overcome a minor elbow injury to join the squad in Dubai this week.

The 28-year-old spinner, who shifted to Tasmania this season in a bid to continue his Test career, is one of three frontline spinners Australia has sent on the tour.
He made his Test debut on the last subcontinent tour to India in 2023, playing three of a possible four Tests and taking a five-wicket haul in the first innings of Australia's win in Indore.

The Australian team arrived in Sri Lanka on Friday for the two-Test series with 11 bowling options. In addition to frontline quicks Mitchell Starc, Scott Boland and Sean Abbott, Australia has specialist spinners, Nathan Lyon, Todd Murphy, and Matthew Kuhnemann, allrounders Beau Webster and Cooper Connolly, along with part-timers Travis Head, Marnus Labuschagne, and Nathan McSweeney.

They will be however without regular captain Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood, both of whom are injured and currently undergoing rehabilitation.
The Galle International Cricket Stadium will host two Tests between Australia and Sri Lanka from January 29 to February 2 and February 6-10, respectively. Sri Lanka will then host Australia for two ODIs at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on February 12 and 14, respectively.


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