NEW DELHI: Australia batter Cameron Bancroft's participation in the Sheffield final against Tasmania at WACA on Thursday has been halted as he suffered injuries from a bike accident and has subsequently been admitted to the hospital.
Updating on Bancroft's condition, Western Australia skipper Sam Whiteman informed reporters, "[I'm] pretty gutted, but nice to hear he's okay and out of the hospital. I think it's pretty lucky that it wasn't much worse. He's got plenty of scratches. Hopefully, we'll see him around the WACA this week. I know that he's gutted to miss it, but he'll get around the team. He's done a lot of heavy lifting this year to get us into the final."
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Bancroft's absence poses a significant setback for the Western Australia side, considering he is the second-highest scorer for the team in the tournament. The opener has notched up 778 runs at an impressive average of 48.62.
In Bancroft's absence, D'Arcy Short is slated to open the innings, while Jayden Goodwin could potentially be promoted to No. 3. Teague Wyllie is expected to step in to replace Bancroft in the playing XI.
Short, who has played only one Shield match this season, showcased his prowess with a score of 49 while batting at No.5 against Queensland earlier this month on a challenging WACA surface.
Meanwhile, Goodwin, son of former Zimbabwe Test batter Murray Goodwin, has had a remarkable season, securing his first-class century against Queensland and demonstrating his potential as Western Australia's number three with an impressive knock of 85 against Tasmania last month.
Wyllie, despite struggling this season with an average of 17.80 from six matches, is likely to fill in Bancroft's shoes. Although he started the season with a courageous 94 off 251 deliveries at No.3 against a full-strength Victorian attack, his form dipped subsequently, prompting unsuccessful adjustments to his batting position.
(With inputs from ANI)
