Australian all-rounder Cooper Connolly sustained a hand fracture while batting against Pakistan in the third ODI on Sunday, ruling him out of the upcoming T20 series, Cricket Australia (CA) confirmed on Monday.
The 21-year-old left-hander, in only his second ODI appearance, was forced to retire hurt in Perth after a delivery from Mohammad Hasnain struck his hand. Australia ultimately lost by eight wickets, conceding the series 2-1 to Pakistan. Scans confirmed Connolly fractured the fourth metacarpal in his left hand.
Josh Philippe has been called up as Connolly’s replacement for the T20 series, set to begin in Brisbane on Thursday, with subsequent matches in Sydney and Hobart.
CA has prioritized preparing its Test players for the upcoming series against India over the shorter-format games. Josh Inglis, the reserve wicketkeeper for the Test squad, will be the only Test player also participating in the T20 series.
