Somerset has received a major setback on Thursday (March 19), as the Australian wicketkeeper-batsman Matthew Wade is all set to miss the upcoming English county championship this summer due to a knee injury.
The flamboyant Aussie batsman was scheduled to join Somerset for the first seven games of the county championship, but he is not in a position to join the club for the upcoming season, as he pulled out of the competition after being advised to rest to nurse the injured knee.
Wade, who is a regular member of the Australian Test team, has featured in a total of 32 Tests, 94 One-Day International (ODI) and 29 Twenty20Is for his country so far.
Somerset announced the latest development in a statement, “Cricket Australia has advised the club that the 32-year-old will require at least a sustained period of rest following the conclusion of Australia's ODI series against New Zealand and will not be available for Somerset.”
Meanwhile, Wade told the club about the same: “It’s a big blow. I was looking forward to the challenge of playing county cricket in England this summer. But after discussions with the Cricket Australia medical team regrettably, it became clear that I wouldn’t be in a position to join Somerset.”
Following the announcement, Somerset Director of Cricket, Andy Hurry said: “Obviously this is disappointing news for Matthew, but injuries are part and parcel of the game. We wish Matthew a quick recovery and we appreciate the correspondence and updates from Cricket Australia.”
Noteworthy, the upcoming county season which is scheduled to start on April 12 may be postponed because of the coronavirus epidemic, as the England Cricket Board will meet on March 19 to discuss the situation in the country with the deadly virus claiming around 8000 lives globally so far.
(With PTI Inputs)
