In Brisbane, Kuhnemann bowled, batted, and fielded and reported that his fractured thumb, which was medically healed, is nearly painless.
Matthew Kuhnemann reports that after bowling, batting, and fielding in Brisbane on Thursday, his surgically repaired right thumb is nearly pain-free. Following a complicated dislocation and fracture during his BBL play, he is now awaiting official clearance to travel to Sri Lanka and join Australia’s Test squad.
With both Tests in Galle, the left-arm orthodox spinner is a vital component of Australia’s preparations for the two-Test series in Sri Lanka. However, his tour appeared to be in serious danger after he was hit on the thumb during the Brisbane Heat’s five-wicket defeat to the Hobart Hurricanes last Thursday.Kuhnemann, 28, had surgery the next morning to insert a pin into his fracture after Heat teammate Daniel Drew drove him to the hospital that evening to have the dislocation realigned.However, Kuhnemann has recovered quickly and is optimistic that he will be able to travel to Sri Lanka after bowling eight overs on Thursday at Brisbane’s Allan Border Field. Along with batting, Kuhnemann faced throwdowns from bowling coach Andy Bichel of the Heat and Queensland. Adam Smith, the Heat’s team physiotherapist, oversaw the session, and he even made a few catches.
In an interview with media, Kuhnemann stated that while he was feeling well, he needed to speak with Australia’s medical team in Dubai via conference call on Thursday night. Prior to being allowed to travel with the team to Sri Lanka in the coming days, they are holding a pre-tour training camp there.According to Kuhnemann, “Nothing’s official yet,” “So far, everything has gone according to plan, and I believe it was more about simply crossing things off each day this week. Though nothing has surfaced yet, I’m hoping so. This afternoon, I’ll most likely talk to the medical staff. So far, my batting, fielding, and bowling have all gone really well. I’ll merely pass forward that message. I’m hoping to board the jet over there, although there’s a slight time zone difference.
“I’m feeling great and am incredibly appreciative of how things have gone over the past week. The procedure went pretty well, and it has healed really well. I consider myself really fortunate to be in a position where I can bowl, bat, and catch a couple balls. So far, everything has gone according to plan. Bowling and batting are no longer painful, and there is very little discomfort left at all.
To protect his right thumb, Kuhnemann had a plastic thumb splint constructed. Since it is on his non-bowling hand, he may wear it throughout games without taking it off. He had previously fractured the same thumb and has worn a similar splint. He is certain that his thumb will resist any impact if a ball is struck back at him forcefully once more.
“This is a conversation I had with the surgeons and doctors and it’s really stable now,” Kuhnemann stated. “I think it’s more stable now than it was previously. I had surgery on my thumb after breaking it previously, so it’s probably in better shape today.
“I’ve played cricket with wearing splints, and I’m really confident; it has no effect on my batting, fielding, or bowling. You’ve got something on your finger, so I’m definitely more confident in the field now.”
He claimed that if a ball were to hit him in the field, he wouldn’t be afraid. “No, not at all,” insisted Kuhnemann. “Cricket in general is like that. I’ve been alright, even though balls have been thrown back at me much more forcefully. This is one of those strange occurrences where it most likely struck the precise location it needed to in order to inflict some harm. I’ve caught a few balls already. There is no issue with that because Andy Bichel has already thrown some balls back at me right away.”
Before the injury, there was a very good probability that Kuhnemann would play in the first Test in Galle. Alongside offspinners Nathan Lyon and Todd Murphy, he was a member of a three-man spin attack during three Test matches in India in 2023. If just two spinners were chosen for the starting lineup, Kuhnemann would have been in position to play because the selectors had made it plain that they wanted a left-arm orthodox in the attack to support Lyon.
A determination regarding his fitness to play will still need to be made, even if he is cleared to join the team. According to Kuhnemann, “I think everyone will have a bit of a say,” It seems like a worthwhile conversation.
