CAPE TOWN – JP Duminy has joined Hashim Amla on the casualty list ahead of the Proteas’ limited-overs tour to Australia.
Amla was ruled out on Monday with a finger tendon injury and was given further time to recover ahead of a long season ahead. But now Duminy too has been forced to withdraw due to a shoulder injury, which requires surgery.
“JP aggravated a pre-existing shoulder injury during the recently concluded series against Zimbabwe. The injury will require surgical management, thus ruling him out of the immediate tour of Australia and the upcoming MSL.
At the moment we can’t say how long he will be out for, that is dependent on the results from the surgery,” Proteas team doctor, Dr Mohammed Moosajee said.
Duminy will miss the upcoming Mzansi Super League, where he was installed as the marquee player for Cape Town Blitz. Proteas wicket-keeper Quinton de Kock will replace Duminy at the Newlands-based franchise.
JP aggravated a pre-existing shoulder injury during the recently concluded series against Zimbabwe. Photo: Ryan Wilkisky/BackpagePix
Four years ago, Duminy was also ruled out of the ODI tour to Australia ahead of the 2015 World Cup with a knee injury.
With Duminy and Amla ruled out of the three ODIs and once-off T20, there is a further opportunity for convenor of selectors Linda Zondi and coach Ottis Gibson to have another look at the group of batsmen trialled during the recent Zimbabwe series in Australia.
Proteas Test opening pair Dean Elgar and Aiden Markram, along with Reeza Hendricks were utilised at the top of the order in the ODIs, while Gihahn Cloete also debuted in the T20 series.
Elgar failed to utilise his opportunities on difficult pitches in Kimberley and Bloemfontein, before Hendricks capitalised at Boland Park in the final ODI by adding a half-century to his maiden century on debut in Sri Lanka a couple of months ago.
Although David Miller is expected to come back into the ODI touring squad after being rested for the 50-overs leg of the Zimbabwe series, there could also be a place for Highveld Lions batsman Rassie van der Dussen on the plane Down Under.
Duminy's injury time-line makes for interesting reading:
2012: Returns home from Australia with an Achilles injury. Spent seven months on the sidelines.
2014: Forced to withdraw from the Cape Cobras team for the T20 Champions League due to a knee injury.
2015: Struggles throughout the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand with the same knee injury.
2015: Returns home from India, and misses the Test series after sustaining a hand injury while fielding the ball off his own bowling in the ODIs.
2016: A hamstring strain rules out Duminy of a World T20 match against the West Indies in Nagpur.
2018: Suffers his latest setback, with a shoulder injury forcing Duminy to miss the limited-overs tour of Australia