Setback for Australia as Georgia Wareham ruptures ACL

Hobart, Oct 21 (IANS) The Australia women's cricket team suffered a big blow ahead of the upcoming Ashes series against England and next year's ODI World Cup with star spinner Georgia Wareham rupturing her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) during a Women's Big Bash League (WBBL) match here.

Georgia was hurt while fielding for the Melbourne Renegades in Wednesday's loss to Adelaide, going down as she ran across the boundary.

Scans have shown that Georgia, the 22-year-old spinner, has injured her left knee after she fell awkwardly during the match here on Wednesday. The reason things are complicated is that she had a synthetic (LARS) ligament reconstruction in the same knee when she was a teenager.

Cricket Australia has not provided a timeline on Georgia's recovery, but ACL injuries can take many months and even up to a year to fully recover.

It means she's now in serious doubt for the Ashes series against England in January and February, the World Cup in New Zealand, and even the Commonwealth Games in July and August next year, a report said.

Playing for the Melbourne Renegades, Georgia suffered the injury while attempting to change direction in the field in the 12th over of Adelaide's innings at Blundstone Arena.

She immediately clutched her knee and pounded the turf with her fist, spending several minutes on the ground before she was able to limp from the field with assistance, according to a report in www.cricket.com,au.

"Georgia ... had an ACL rupture on the same knee at the age of 14 whilst playing AFL which was reconstructed using a synthetic (LARS) ligament," Australian team doctor Pip Inge said in a statement.

"Whilst in the field yesterday she had an instability episode of the left knee resulting in a rupture of the graft. As a result, she will be unavailable for the remainder of the WBBL season. Cricket Australia and Cricket Victoria medical staff are working in consultation with Georgia on the longer-term management plan," the statement said.

Georgia missed the majority of the 2020 WBBL season with a stress reaction in her lower leg but recovered for the Women's National Cricket League and tour of New Zealand in the second half of the 2020-21 summer.

Now with her being out for many months, Australia will be without their first-choice leg-spinner in both the Ashes and the World Cup.