Travis Head ruled out of first half of ICC World Cup

In a blow to the five-time ODI World Cup champions Australia, opening batter Tarvis Head has been ruled out of the first half of the tournament. The Aussie batter suffered a fracture to his left hand during the fourth ODI of the just-concluded five-match series against South Africa. The Aussies will now mull over bringing back Marnus Labuschagne into the team.

Team coach Andrew McDonald has confirmed that Head does not require surgery but his month-long recovery will put him out of the first half of the tournament. "The timeframe is still a bit loose at the moment but the



good news is he doesn't require surgery as it sits at the moment. Speaking on whether to take Head for the opening half of the event, McDonald said, "There will be an extended period of time out and we've just got to weigh up whether that time (out) falls with an option to carry him through the front half of the World Cup."

The coach confirmed Head's unavailability for the said period. "There's no doubt he won't be available for the front half, so that's a decision we'll have to make for the final 15(-player squad). But I can't give you an exact time frame," McDonald added.