By Ian Omoro

The T20I series against Pakistan will not feature Australian all-rounder Cooper Connolly due to a fractured left hand. At the pivotal ODI in Perth, he was hit by Mohammad Hasnain. 

Connolly was hit on the glove after attempting a pull on the second ball of the 17th over. Before he realized he was in trouble, he had to deal with one more delivery. He left the field following a brief evaluation by the physiotherapist, and scans shortly after showed the full extent of the injuries.

Connolly’s left hand’s fourth metacarpal fracture was confirmed by a Cricket Australia (CA) representative after play, and he will see a specialist in Perth on Monday. Josh Philippe, a new South Wales wicketkeeper batsman, has been brought into the team to take Connolly’s place. 

Connolly’s injury added salt to Australia’s wounds, as they lost the series to Pakistan by eight wickets. As pacers once again forced Australian batters to dance to their music, Pakistan captain Muhammad Rizwan’s stint as captain got off to a fantastic start.

The 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup champions suffered a terrible defeat as no Australian batsman managed to reach even a half-century in these three games. As the team’s top players, including Steve Smith, Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, and Mitchell Starc, concentrate on their Test series against India at home, the inexperience of the team was evident. Additionally, two important batsmen, Travis Head and Mitchell Marsh, are on paternity leave.

Australia’s top run scorer, Steven Smith, who missed the last ODI, amassed 79 runs at an average of 39.50 in two games, with a best score of 44. With 74 runs in three games, Josh Inglis was Australia’s second-highest run scorer and recorded the team’s top score of 49 in this series. 

With the BBL starting a little more than a month from now on December 15, the Perth Scorchers setup will also be closely monitoring Connolly’s recovery schedule. Connolly would have been available for each of Western Australia’s two remaining Sheffield Shield matches before the BBL.

The Australian selectors’ aspirations to increase Connolly’s experience before the 2026 T20 World Cup were dashed by the injury. They think highly of him, especially for his left-arm spin and bat finishing abilities, which he has displayed for the Scorchers and are not common in Australian cricket. 

Connolly made his debut on the UK trip in September, playing in two Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is), one each against England and Scotland. On the two matches, he did not bat and bowled five overs without a wicket. Before joining the ODI squad, he played in the opening game of the series in Mackay, where he scored 37 runs in the first inning while playing for Australia A against India A.