Australian speedster Nathan Coulter-Nile has been ruled out of the remaining fixtures in the on-going tour of Sri Lanka. Having been whitewashed by the hosts in the Test series to the hosts 3-0, Australia won the 1st ODI by 3 wickets but the Lankans levelled the series in the following encounter. Southpaw David Warner, meanwhile has been named as the interim captain of the ‘Aussies’ with Steve Smith heading back to Australia.
A Twenty-20 specialist, Coulter-Nile was a regular in Australia’s World T20 Campaign earlier this year. Unfortunately, an injury in his lower back has forced him to fly back to his home country. The Right-arm pacer has been travelling with the team for the entire series but never got the chance to play in the starting XI. The 2-match T20 series will follow after the on-going ODIs conclude.
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Australia’s physiotherapist David Beakley’s statement informs everyone that he is not fit to play, he said, "Nathan had been experiencing a gradual increase in lower back pain which is now preventing him from bowling at match intensity. He will now return to Perth for further investigation which will determine the extent of the injury and possible return to play timelines."
It is also learnt as per reports from ESPN Cricinfo that Coulter-Nile will not be removed from the Australian squad officially. Though, Scott Boland and Chris Lynn have taken the long flight from ‘Down Under’ as a cover for the injured bowler and are travelling with the squad
All-rounder Glenn Maxwell has been performing poorly in recent times and was dropped from the ODI squad, but it is likely that he will get a chance to prove his worth in the T20 series with Chris Lynn. National selector Rod March is pretty confident that both of them will perform well. "Both Chris and Glenn are dynamic players who are both capable of winning a game from their own bat and they also bring that x-factor in the field," he said.
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Having made his T20 debut in 2013, Coulter-Nile has played 16 ODIs and 17 T20 Internationals for the ‘Baggy Greens’ and has an impressive record combined, missing the services of him is a big blow to the team.
The T20 squad for the T20 series:
David Warner (captain), Shaun Marsh, Aaron Finch, Travis Head, Glenn Maxwell, Chris Lynn, John Hastings, Moises Henriques, Peter Nevill (wicket-keeper), James Faulkner, Scott Boland, Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa.
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