Allrounder Cooper Connolly has been ruled out of the T20I series against Pakistan after suffering a fractured left hand. He was struck by Mohammad Hasnain during the deciding ODI in Perth.
Connolly took the blow on the second ball of the 17th over when he went for a pull and was struck on the glove. He faced one more delivery before realising he was in some trouble. After a quick assessment from the physio, he left the field and soon went for scans which revealed the full extent of the injury.
Following play, a CA spokesperson confirmed a fracture to the fourth metacarpal of Connolly's left hand and that he will consult a specialist in Perth on Monday. New South Wales wicketkeeper batter Josh Philippe has been added to the squad as Connolly's replacement.
The Perth Scorchers set-up will also have a very close eye on Connolly's recovery timeline with the BBL beginning in a little over a month's time on December 15. Before the BBL, Western Australia have two more Sheffield Shield games which Connolly would have been available for prior to the injury.
The injury is a blow to the Australian selectors' hopes of growing Connolly's experience ahead of the 2026 T20 World Cup. They rate him highly, particularly his finishing skills with the bat - which he has shown for Scorchers - and his left-arm spin, a skillset not in abundance in Australian cricket.
Connolly made his debut on the tour of the UK in September, where he played two T20Is, one apiece against Scotland and England, but he didn't bat and sent down five wicketless overs across the two outings.
He was part of the Australia A squad for the recent matches against India A where he featured in the first game of the series in Mackay, scoring 37 in the first innings, before joining the ODI squad.