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| February 04, 2007 | Sunday | Muharram 15, 1428 |
Symonds faces surgery on injured bicep
SYDNEY, Feb 3: Australia all-rounder Andrew Symonds has been ordered to undergo surgery after rupturing the biceps tendon in his right shoulder during his team's tri-series loss to England on Friday.
Symonds will miss the rest of the tournament and this month's Chappell-Hadlee series in New Zealand but is hoping to recover for the World Cup starting in West Indies next month.
Australian team doctor Trefor James said Symonds could go under the surgeon's knife as early as Sunday but would not speculate on how long he would be out of action.
“(He) will undergo intensive physiotherapy following surgery.
His return to cricket will depend on his progress,” James said in a statement.
Australia's first World Cup match is just six weeks away but Symonds is confident of making a full recovery.“I feel optimistic about the future because I know I'm a good healer,” he said.
“My wrist injury healed quicker than expected and is fine now. I'll do whatever it takes to get back as quickly as possible.”
Symonds, one of the leading players in the Australian team that won the 2003 World Cup in South Africa, injured the bicep while batting against England in Sydney.
The powerful Queenslander had smashed an unbeaten 39 off 35 balls but had to retire hurt once it became obvious the injury was serious.
Australia lost the match by 92 runs, suffering their first defeat in any form of cricket since October, but Symonds's injury was of far greater concern.
“I felt it go during the game but I didn't realise how bad it was,” Symonds said.
“I batted on but the pain was considerable and I was advised by the team physio Alex Kountouris to come off.”
The 31-year-old Symonds is a key member of the Australian one-day side and one of the cornerstones of their campaign to win a third successive World Cup.
He has scored over 4,000 runs and taken 121 wickets in 161 matches, his versatility allowing the Australians the luxury of picking four specialist bowlers.
But there was better news for Australia when captain Ricky Ponting was cleared to play in Sunday’s match against New Zealand.
Ponting missed Friday’s game in Sydney because of a hip problem but will lead the side against the Kiwis. Ponting will replace the injured Symonds.
Australia have also swapped two fast bowlers, with Brett Lee and Mitchell Johnson replacing Glenn McGrath and Bracken as part of the world champions' ongoing rotation policy.—Reuters
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