Injury setback for Steve Smith

Smith, who is serving a 12-month ban for his role in the ball-tampering scandal, and is hoping to return in time for the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2019 starting 30 May, has an issue with the ligament in his right elbow.

It had forced him to cut short his stay in the Bangladesh Premier League 2019, where he was captain of Comilla Victorians. He had struggled in the tournament, with returns of 16 and 0.

“Steve Smith will undergo surgery on Tuesday to repair a ligament in his right elbow. He is expected to wear a brace for six weeks before commencing rehabilitation. Return to play time frames will be clearer once the brace has been removed," said a statement from a Cricket Australia spokesperson on Saturday, 12 January.

Earlier, Comilla coach Mohammad Salahuddin had confirmed Smith's injury. "We are not sure how he picked it up, but the last two days he could not bat in training due to the problem," Salahuddin said.

"He had an MRI test here but the result was not very clear. He sent the report to Australian physicians who advised him to return home immediately."

Comilla won one and lost one match under Smith's captaincy this season. Australia, the defending World Cup champions, are down at No.6 on the MRF Tyres ICC ODI Team Rankings and Smith and David Warner, who is also serving a suspension, are expected to slot back in for their title defence.