Proteas in Australia
Duminy targets June return
2012-11-12 10:21
Rob Houwing, Sport24 chief writer
Cape Town – The ICC Champions Trophy in June next year
shapes up as the earliest possible return to international cricket for the
Proteas’ injury-stricken batsman
JP Duminy.
The Cape Cobras left-hander, who ruptured an Achilles tendon
in a freak warm-down incident after the first day’s play in the first Test
against Australia in Brisbane, revealed in a television interview on Monday
that “June to July is probably my target, depending how the recovery goes”.
He has already been operated on, and cannot fly home quite
yet because of the need for swelling to subside a little.
It is known to be a relatively serious injury for
sports-people generally – certainly not uncommon in rugby players – and Duminy
seems resigned to the likelihood that the “three to six months” suggestion for
absence from the field will probably err more on the side of the latter period.
So there is not even any guarantee that he will be 100
percent ready for the last edition of the Champions League, which is to be
scrapped after the 2012 tournament (June 6 to 23), scheduled for English and
Welsh venues.
He is already certain to miss the entire domestic summer for
the Proteas, who play respective, all-formats home series against New Zealand
and Pakistan.
Having hobbled to his spot before the cameras on crutches
and speaking to SuperSport commentator Mike Haysman during one of the intervals
in play on day four, Duminy said: “It’s very disappointing but something out of
my control – a freak accident.
“I was just wanting to get the legs pumping a bit (after not
experiencing any active service himself on the first day) and it snapped during
a quick turn.
“I kind of felt it was serious, (though) initially I thought
someone had thrown a cricket ball and struck me.
“The pain wasn’t too bad ... the doc said that was probably
because it had snapped completely. I will be in a cast for six to eight weeks.”
Duminy adopted a philosophical approach to the enforced
absence, having been the beneficiary himself of ill-fortune during the last
Test tour of Australia in 2008/09 when Ashwell Prince was injured ahead of the
first Test and the rookie stepped in to become the definitive personality of
the triumphant series.
“Probably Faf (du Plessis) or Thami (Tsolekile) have a
chance now to stake a claim. This is where it all started for me, and I think I
still have a long career ahead.
“It is a chance to sit back and look at other areas of my
life for a while ... it has been a fairly hectic spell for us.”
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