Australian wicket-keeper batter Josh Inglis has been ruled out of the upcoming three-match T20I series against New Zealand after sustaining a calf strain on Thursday, September 18. As per an ESPNCricinfo report, Inglis had pulled up a bit sore after a running session in Perth on Tuesday and scans confirmed a strain, which would require the wicket-keeper batter at least 3-4 weeks to recover. Hence, Cricket Australia (CA) is keen to have him fit before the India white-ball series.
Inglis was replaced by Alex Carey, who made his T20I comeback last month during the South Africa series in Darwin. The 30-year-old batter mentioned that the calf issue has been long ongoing for him but never he missed a game for it and hence, he was gutted to be missing out on the New Zealand series.
"It's an ongoing thing," Inglis told ESPNcricinfo. "It's sort of been around for a couple years now. For me, it's been really frustrating. It's not been something that's really kept me out of the game. It's just something I've got to manage. So at the minute, I'm not really able to bat as much as I'd like, so I'm not able to spend the time in the nets to be able to work on new things.
"It's really just been about preparing for the next game and getting enough in to feel good going into the game, but not overdoing it. I've been doing a lot of rehab stuff with the physios just on different areas, my hips, that sort of thing, just to try strengthen up there and take some load off my lower back.
"I don't really get it keeping. I think it's just in that batting position and then light rotation. And once it's flared up, doing everything is pretty uncomfortable," he added. All three matches will take place at the Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui, with games on October 1, 3 and 4.
Australia's squad for New Zealand series: Mitchell Marsh (c), Travis Head, Alex Carey, Matthew Short, Mitchell Owen, Marcus Stoinis, Glenn Maxwell, Tim David, Sean Abbott, Ben Dwarshuis, Xavier Bartlett, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood, Matt Kuhnemann
