Aussie opener doubtful for the opening game against Afghanistan

Australia will kick start their ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 campaign on Saturday against Afghanistan at County Ground, Bristol and have been knocked out with an injury scare. The Men in Yellow are sweating over their swashbuckling opener David Warner’s injury.

The 32-year-old opening batsmen left the team’s training session in Bristol midway after complaining of a stiff glute muscle on the right leg. Suffering from tightness in his upper leg, Warner also missed Australia’s final World Cup warm-up match against Sri Lanka on Monday.

Australia head coach Justin Langer is hopeful that Warner will be fully fit till the time to open the innings for the Kangaroos. However, he also emphasizes that no risk will be taken.

“He [Warner] was a bit sore on Wednesday. He’s just a bit sore in his right glute. He is desperate to play, he’d love to play like all 15 players would,” -Justin Langer, Australia Head coach.

 

David Warner will have a fitness test on Friday that will determine his fitness status and availability for the game against Afghanistan. If David Warner misses out the first game, Usman Khawaja and Aaron Finch are expected to open the innings for the side.

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Australia World Cup Squad –     

Aaron Finch (c), Glenn Maxwell, Mitchell Starc, David Warner, Jason Behrendorff, Usman Khawaja, Steven Smith, Alex Carey (wk), Nathan Coulter-Nile, Kane Richardson, Nathan Lyon, Adam Zampa, Shaun Marsh, Marcus Stoinis, Pat Cummins

Afghanistan World Cup Squad –

Gulbadin Naib (c), Samiullah Shinwari, Dawlat Zadran, Mohammad Nabi, Asghar Afghan, Hashmatullah Shahidi, Mohammad Shahzad (wk), Noor Ali Zadran, Hazratullah Zazai, Rahmat Shah, Najibullah Zadran, Rashid Khan, Aftab Alam, Hamid Hassan and Mujeeb ur Rahman.