Steve Smith remains troubled by a nagging elbow injury that first flared two months ago, as pace aces Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood turn their focus to the white ball ahead of next month’s Indian Premier League.
The superstar batsman was not included in NSW’s 13-man squad for the one-day game against Western Australia on Sunday as he struggles to overcome an elbow complaint that has been bothering him since the Sydney Test.
Steve Smith will miss another game for NSW due to an elbow injury.Credit:Getty Images
The Blues are targeting a return for either their Marsh Cup or Sheffield Shield game in Hobart starting next Thursday, almost a month since he last stepped onto a field.
Smith has not played since the Shield game against Victoria three weeks ago to look after the injury, which is not serious but requires rest to improve.
If Smith cannot play next week, there is a strong chance the reigning Allan Border Medallist may not play again in Australia this season, with players pencilled in to depart for the Indian Premier League on April 1.
Downgraded from a $2.5 million to $390,000 deal in the IPL after switching teams, Smith has a point to prove in India, the scene of this year’s Twenty20 World Cup.
Cummins and Hazlewood have likely played their last Shield games of the season, instead turning their focus towards the white ball ahead of the IPL, starting April 9.
Star quick Mitchell Starc, however, is concentrating on the red-ball arena having turned his back on the lucrative tournament.
An extra Shield appearance in March will have little bearing on their preparation for next summer but opportunities to play longer-form cricket will be scarce for Australia’s all-format players leading into the Ashes.
