Cape Town - The Cape Cobras suffered a major blow on Tuesday when their overseas star Kieron Pollard was ruled out of the T20 Challenge with a knee injury.
Scans have revealed that Pollard tore ligaments in his right knee when he turned quickly to field a ball on Sunday at Boland Park in Paarl. Pollard will leave Cape Town on Wednesday afternoon to undergo rehabilitation.
The Cobras dressingroom resembles a medical ward at the moment. In addition to Pollard’s injury, coach Paul Adams is also sweating on the fitness of pacemen Wayne Parnell and Dane Paterson.
Parnell injured his foot against the Knights when Rilee Rossouw smashed a full toss straight back at the bowler. Although scans indicate no fracture, Parnell is still suffering from severe pain and will be given the week off to recuperate.
Similarly, Paterson will not train throughout the week in the hope that he recovers from a stiff back. The young seamer has been playing non-stop cricket since the South African A tour to India in August, and his workload will need to be managed accordingly.
There was some relief for the Cobras on Tuesday, with veteran spinner Robin Peterson showing positive signs of recovery. The left-armer injured his hand during the first round of the competition, and his return for the final three matches of the league phase could be a major boost to an injury-ravaged team.
The Cobras face the Highveld Lions in an all-important T20 clash on Sunday at the Wanderers.
* For more insight and analysis into how the Cobras will deal with Pollard’s absence, read the Cape Times and Cape Argus on Wednesday.