Australia batsman Steve Smith did not feature in a single match during the ODI series against England. After coping a blow to the head during a net session, Smith showed signs of concussion. Since then Cricket Australia (CA) is constantly monitoring his progress and has asserted that they are not willing to compromise on the fitness of Smith.
The Australian cricket board has strict protocols related to head impact and concussions. Now with Smith now flying to UAE for IPL, CA will be closely working with Rajasthan Royals and supervise his progress. The board wants Smith to have a smooth return to cricket during IPL and will be in constant touch with his IPL franchise.
“Cricket Australia has strict protocols when it comes to head impacts and concussions and, as we’ve seen over the last 12 months, we’re not willing to compromise on those,” CA’s head of sports science Alex Kountouris said in a statement.
“Steve is making progress and working with our medical team through the concussion protocols required to return to play,” he added.
Meanwhile, Smith along with other England and Australian players will be landing in Dubai tomorrow (18 September) to feature in the IPL. All players will undergo a quarantine period of 6 days before they can join their respective franchises.
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The medical team of CA will be closely tracking the progress of Smith during concerning his concussion protocols. Kountouris also added that a lot of research has gone into studying concussions and its relevant effects and the player’s welfare will always remain the priority.
Moreover, Smith will surely miss out on the first match of Rajasthan Royals which will be played on September 22 against Chennai Super Kings. He will remain in quarantine till September 23 and only after that he will be allowed to join his franchise camp. The 13th edition of the IPL begins from September 19 and will be played till November 10.
