Australia Test Captain Tim Paine Urges Steve Smith Not To Rush Injury Return | Cricket News
Australia Test captain Tim Paine on Monday urged Steve Smith not to rush his comeback from injury to ensure he is fit for the Ashes, even it means missing the Twenty20 World Cup. Smith is a crucial cog in Australia’s drive to retain the urn after their gripping 2019 series in England, where he was the standout performer on his return from a ban for ball-tampering. Despite bearing the brunt of hostile English fans, he smashed an incredible 774 runs in four Tests, at an average of 110.57, including twin centuries on his Test return at Edgbaston.
But he is struggling with an elbow injury after changing his batting grip, ruling him out of Australia’s current limited-overs tour of the West Indies.
Smith stressed last week that Test cricket was his priority, and he was prepared to skip the T20 World Cup in October-November.
“What’s important for me is that he’s fit to go, whether that’s at the T20 World Cup or the Ashes,” Paine said on a Zoom call.
“Obviously from a selfish point of view, I would love him to be 100 percent fit and if that means he misses that tournament (World Cup) then so be it.”
