Steve Smith and cricket fans are expressing their sympathies for Sean Abbott after the Test hopeful was ruled out of contention for the first Ashes match against England. Abbott and Josh Hazlewood were both sent for scans during the third day of NSW’s Sheffield Shield clash with Victoria on Wednesday.
Abbott and Hazlewood are both in Australia’s 15-player squad for the first Ashes Test against England, and there were fears both could land on the sidelines alongside Pat Cummins. But Hazlewood was cleared of anything serious and will be right to take his place in Perth on Friday week.
Steve Smith (L) spoke out to express his sympathies for Sean Abbott (R). Image: Sky Sports/Getty
The news wasn’t as good for Abbott, who was diagnosed with a ‘moderate’ hamstring strain and ruled out of contention for the first Test. Abbott has been around the Test team for a number of years, but yet to be handed his debut in the longest format.
He was a chance to play in Perth if the Aussies decided to go with a four-pronged pace attack and leave Nathan Lyon out – just like they did in the third Test in the West Indies earlier this year. There’s been speculation that curators will provide pitches offering plenty of assistance for the seamers, and Mitchell Starc called for exactly that this week.
Sean Abbott had been bowling well for NSW in Sheffield Shield. (AAP Image/Dan Himbrechts)
Steve Smith ‘feeling for’ Sean Abbott
A lively pitch in Perth would have played into Abbott’s favour and opened the door for a possible Test debut, but it isn’t to be. Speaking to reporters at the SCG after the match on Wednesday, Smith said he felt for Abbott after the untimely blow – especially after he’d banged the door down with four wickets in the second innings against Victoria.
“It’s rough for Sean, who’s obviously worked really hard the last few years to get in the position in the squad again,” Smith said. “Injuries happen, so I’m feeling for him right now.”
On social media, fans also sent their condolences to Abbott considering he’s seemingly been so close to a Test debut a number of times.
Meanwhile, Smith said he immediately told Hazlewood to get off the field and get himself checked when he reported hamstring tightness. “He literally bowled his last ball and I looked at him and said, ‘how are you going?'” Smith said. “He’s like, ‘I’m a bit tight in my hamstring.’ I was like, ‘Get off the field. Disappear. You’re done, go and figure it out.’ Fortunately, it was just some tightness and he’s good.
“It’s hard when you’re playing in a game and you want to try and do well for your state as well. Then you’ve got an eye on, obviously, next week. Didn’t know about Josh (being cleared) while we were still bowling…I was like, I just don’t want Starcy (Mitchell Starc) to get injured. I was like, (Scott) Boland, you can bowl one spell and be done as well. That’ll be good.”
Josh Hazlewood has been cleared of injury. (Photo by Matt King/Getty Images)
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Cummins, who was at the SCG on Wednesday, later said: “There was a bit happening there for an hour or so. I think Josh, he was pretty chipper when he got out (of the scans), so hopefully he should be fine…obviously a week away from the Test series kind of always there on the side of caution.
“I think he was a little bit worried, wanting to get it checked out. When he got back, again I only saw him briefly, but I think he was a bit happier afterwards than he was going into the scans.”
With Abbott out of contention, Brendan Doggett is a chance to make his Test debut if the Aussies decide they want an all-out pace attack. They also have the option of playing both all-rounders Cameron Green and Beau Webster and using one as the fourth-choice seamer after Starc, Hazlewood and Boland.