Australian batter Steve Smith has unveiled that his recent wrist ailment was incurred during the second Ashes Test held at the legendary Lord's earlier in July.
The renowned cricketing talent showcased his prowess by notching up his 32nd Test century at the iconic venue, a feat instrumental in securing a victory for Australia. This win put the Aussies at a 2-0 lead in the Ashes series. Following this commendable performance, Smith was handpicked for the subsequent tour to South Africa, where he was slated to feature in both the ODI and T20I squads.
While cricket enthusiasts anticipated Smith to spearhead Australia's batting in the T20Is against South Africa, he and the fast bowler, Mitchell Starc, unexpectedly had to bow out of the tour due to injuries.
However, Cricket Australia remained optimistic. They intimated that both Smith and Starc should be fully recuperated and in prime form for the forthcoming tour of India, inclusive of the ODI series and the looming World Cup.
The details surrounding Smith's injury were hitherto vague until he decided to shed light on the matter during an interview with Fox Cricket. Smith was somewhat uncertain about the exact instance when the injury occurred but suspects it might have transpired whilst he was fielding.
Elaborating further, Smith shared, "The injury took place at Lord's. To be frank, I can't pinpoint the exact moment; it likely happened when I was out on the field. I only realised the severity of it that evening, thinking to myself, 'What on earth have I done? It's rather painful'.
"Ahead of the match at Old Trafford, I opted for a cortisone injection. Upon my return to Australia, I felt things weren't as they should be. Certain movements were still quite restricted," divulged Smith.
"Subsequent scans revealed a minor tear in the tendon coupled with a few other issues," he added.
Despite this hindrance, Smith demonstrated tenacity by participating in all five Ashes 2023 Test matches, amassing an impressive total of 373 runs for his team.
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