Kuhnemann Confident of Joining Sri Lanka Tour After Thumb Injury Recovery

Brisbane: Australian spinner Matthew Kuhnemann is hopeful of being part of the upcoming two-Test series in Sri Lanka after recovering from a right thumb injury. Following surgery, the left-arm orthodox spinner is now experiencing no pain in both his bowling and batting, raising his chances of being included in Australia’s squad.

Injury Setback and Swift Recovery

Kuhnemann, 28, suffered a compound dislocation and fracture to his thumb during Brisbane Heat’s five-wicket loss to Hobart Hurricanes last Thursday. The injury raised doubts about his participation in the Sri Lanka tour, as he was expected to play a key role in the series.

After the injury, Kuhnemann was rushed to the hospital by his Heat teammate Daniel Drew. The injury was treated that night with the dislocation set back into place, and the following morning, surgery was performed to insert a pin into the fracture. Despite the setback, Kuhnemann has made a quick recovery.

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Optimism After Training Session

On Thursday, Kuhnemann bowled eight overs at Allan Border Field in Brisbane and also batted during the session, facing throwdowns from Heat and Queensland bowling coach Andy Bichel. He took catches and trained under the supervision of team physio Adam Smith, further demonstrating his recovery.

“I’m feeling really good, really grateful with how it sort of progressed in the last week. It’s healed really well, and the surgery went excellent,” Kuhnemann said. “There’s not much pain at all anymore, and no pain bowling and batting.”

Waiting for Medical Clearance

Despite his positive recovery, Kuhnemann will need clearance from Australia’s medical staff, who are currently in Dubai for a pre-tour training camp. A conference call on Thursday evening will determine whether he can join the squad for the Sri Lanka tour.

“Nothing’s official yet. I think it was more about just ticking off the boxes each day this week, and so far it’s gone to plan. I’m hoping so, but nothing’s come out yet,” Kuhnemann added. “My bowling, batting and fielding has gone excellent so far.”

Custom Splint for Thumb Protection

To protect his injured thumb, Kuhnemann now wears a custom plastic splint on his non-bowling hand, which he can wear during matches. Despite previously breaking the same thumb, he remains confident that the splint will protect him from further injury, even if a ball is hit back at him with force.

“I’ve played cricket with splints on and I’m very confident it doesn’t affect my bowling, batting, or fielding,” Kuhnemann said. “It’s probably more stable now than it was beforehand. If anything, I’m probably more confident in the field, because you’ve got something on your finger.”

Confidence in the Field

Kuhnemann also expressed no fear about fielding, despite the injury. “No, not at all,” he said. “That’s cricket in general. Balls have been hit back at me a lot harder, and I’ve been fine. This is one of those freak incidents that it’s hit probably the exact spot it had to for it to cause some damage.”

He is confident that he will be ready to play in Sri Lanka, with no concerns about his ability to perform in the field or with the bat.