Australia batter Steve Smith has broken his silence following the finger injury he sustained during the ICC World Test Championship Final against South Africa at Lord’s.
The veteran cricketer offered insights into his recovery timeline and prospects for a return to international action.
Smith was taken to the hospital on day three of Australia’s five-wicket loss to South Africa after suffering a compound dislocation of his right little finger while fielding in the slip cordon.
The 36-year-old sustained the injury attempting to catch South Africa captain Temba Bavuma, who was on just two at the time.
Fortunately for Smith, the injury did not require surgery.
“I will be in a splint for eight weeks now and I may be able to play with it in a couple of weeks,” Smith revealed after Australia’s five-wicket loss to the Proteas at Lord’s.
“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.”
Despite the dropped catch, Bavuma went on to score 66 and anchor a crucial match-winning partnership with Aiden Markram.
Smith explained the circumstances of the incident, noting the challenges posed by the Lord’s pitch.
“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,” Smith said.
“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 and 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.”
The former captain’s latest setback adds to a series of dramatic moments he has experienced at Lord’s, including the infamous bouncer from Jofra Archer during the 2019 Ashes.
“I have a love/hate relationship with this place now,” Smith stated.
“I have had some good memories here and some not so good ones as well.
“Getting hit in the head by Jofra (Archer) 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.”
Australia’s medical staff will continue to monitor Smith’s recovery, with hopes he could still feature in the upcoming three-Test series against the West Indies in the Caribbean.
