Why has Glenn Maxwell been ruled out of Australia's 2023 World Cup match against England?
Australian all-rounder Glenn Maxwell has been ruled out of the blockbuster clash against England after suffering a concussion in a freak golf cart accident. The all-important contest is set to take place in Ahmedabad on Saturday, November 4.
Maxwell reportedly slipped and fell off the cart, leading to a head injury and forcing him to miss Australia's next outing. Although Maxwell is recovering well, it is a devastating blow as they attempt to continue their four-match winning streak and qualify for the semi-final.
Australian coach Andrew McDonald confirmed the news on Glenn Maxwell's freak injury and absence for the England clash.
"In transporting him back from the clubhouse to the team bus, Glenn Maxwell came off the back of a car and has suffered a small concussion, so he will go into concussion protocols for the next period of time and will unfortunately miss the England game," McDonald said.
The incident is another addition to Maxwell's list of freak injuries after the all-rounder suffered a freak leg injury last November that kept him out of action for months.
Following a slow start to the tournament, the swashbuckling cricketer hit red-hot form with the bat, scoring the fastest ODI World Cup century off 40 deliveries against the Netherlands and a crucial 24-ball 41 against New Zealand.
Apart from his batting heroics, Maxwell has also been Australia's second spinner behind Adam Zampa, picking up four wickets at an economy of under 4.90 in 42 overs of bowling.
"There’ll be no replacement" - Andrew McDonald
Australian head coach Andrew McDonald further clarified that there will be no replacement in the squad for Glenn Maxwell's injury, considering the star all-rounder should return after the one-game absence.
Maxwell played the lone ODI this year due to his leg injury and its reaggregation until the recent India series before the World Cup. Before the record-breaking century against the Netherlands, the 35-year-old struggled with the bat, scoring only 46 runs in the first four games.
"There’ll be no replacement (in the squad) as such, he’ll go into six to eight days concussion protocol. So they said that takes into account the England game, he’ll be unavailable for that game. And then clearly within the squad we’ve got some players who become available Marcus Stoinis, Cameron Green’s there available as well, but we haven’t made that decision as yet," said McDonald.
Meanwhile, Australia have turned their fortunes around following a dismal start to the World Cup with defeats to India and South Africa. The five-time World Champions have won their last four matches against Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Netherlands, and New Zealand to be fourth on the points table.
Following the England clash, the Aussies will take on Afghanistan and Bangladesh to finish off their set of round-robin games.