Smith Relieved After Worst Fears Allayed

Steve Smith admitted to being 'little bit worried' after suffering a freak elbow injury that delayed his departure to Australia's training camp in the UAE ahead of their Test series in Sri Lanka.

Injury Details

Smith hurt himself while throwing a ball from the deep during a Big Bash game, catching Davey Warner over the boundary and lobbing it back into the field. He then threw the ball back in hard, feeling a similar pain to when he ruptured his ligament in 2019.

Current Status

Scans showed that Smith's ligament is still intact, but he has muscle damage and a small millimetre of the ligament on the bone that's doing something. He will undergo a modified training programme in the UAE, which began on Tuesday with a few laps of running and some physiotherapy on his elbow.

Return to Play

Smith is expected to resume batting soon, but will refrain from trying out anything expansive in the early days. He will initially bat with tape on his elbow to limit his hyperextension, a precaution he took during his return from injury in 2019.