Steve Smith provides massive update on injured finger after SA vs AUS 2025 WTC Final

Australia ace batter Steve Smith has provided an update on the injury he sustained during Day 3 of the WTC 2025 final against South Africa at Lord’s. The right-handed batter dislocated his right little finger as he dropped Proteas skipper Temba Bavuma’s catch while fielding at the slip cordon.

The veteran batter confirmed that he will be in a splint for eight weeks, but can play with the injury after two weeks. However, nothing is official so far. The remarks came ahead of a three-match Test series in the West Indies, which is set to begin on June 25.

Smith told the ICC (via ANI):

“I will be in a splint for eight weeks now, and I may be able to play with it in a couple of weeks. It will depend on my functionality and what I am able to do, so it was probably the best result I could have hoped for.”

Smith explained how he was blinded by the angle as the ball neared him. The 35-year-old said:

“I was standing pretty close with the helmet on, and as we saw throughout the game, a lot of nicks went short of first and second slip. The plan was to stand pretty close, and I lost sight of it with the angle that Mitchell Starc was bowling, and it kind of went inside Bavuma's hip.”

“I didn't quite see it until really late and it kind of dipped on me a little bit late too as well. It was tricky, it didn't go in my hand very well, and fortunately, there is no break there, and it just split the skin and dislocated it, which made me feel pretty ill at that stage,” he added.

"I have a love/hate relationship with this place now” – Steve Smith on his second injury at Lord’s

Steve Smith further opened up about his love-and-hate relationship with Lord’s, where he was hit on the head by England pacer Jofra Archer with a short-pitched delivery. He said:

"I have a love/hate relationship with this place now. I have had some good memories here and some not so good ones as well. Getting hit in the head by Jofra in 2019 and now having my digit knocked off out here yesterday as well. But it's a wonderful place to play cricket, and I have enjoyed it here, and it was a real good game of cricket again.”

With the bat, Steve Smith scored 66 and 13 in the two innings of the WTC final. Australia lost to South Africa by five wickets.