ASHES 2019: Tim Paine discloses secret injuries his team suffered for the urn

Paine played the final Test at The Oval with a broken thumb.

Tim Paine | Getty

Australia skipper Tim Paine revealed he broke his thumb, while pacer Peter Siddle delivered throughout with pain in his hip in the fifth and final Ashes Test at The Oval. 

"My thumb was broken towards the end of that Test but it is not displaced, so I should be right to get back into training early," Paine wrote in his column for The Australian having led his country's surge towards retaining the urn in UK despite a 2-2 drawn scoreline versus England. 

Read Also: Paine relishes retaining the urn despite loss at The Oval 

"Peter Siddle tore a hip flexor bowling on the first morning. He has copped a bit of criticism for not bowling as well as he we know he can, but the team knows just how heroic he was."

"A lot of other people wouldn’t have bowled again in the match, but he pushed on because he didn’t want to leave Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins to do extra work. He’s a warrior, Sidds, and we love him deeply for that," he added. 

Paine further confirmed he won't be available to play this winter's Big Bash League as he wishes to focus solely on red-ball cricket for the time being. Australia plays Pakistan and New Zealand in Tests at home. 

"I’m keen to see just how far we can take this (Test) team and I’ve decided to give up the BBL so I can concentrate on red ball cricket and being in the best place to lead them."

"Being captain is draining and I think I should take every chance to recharge my batteries. I’ll go back to the BBL when I’m finished, but for now my focus is on my main job," the captain signed off. 

 
 

By Kashish Chadha - 18 Sep, 2019

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