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Optus Stadium injury curse strikes again

3 minute read

Australia paceman Josh Hazlewood and NZ tearaway Lockie Ferguson both suffered soft tissue injuries this week, but it's unlikely Optus Stadium is to blame.

JOSH HAZLEWOOD
JOSH HAZLEWOOD Picture: Ryan Pierse/Getty Images

Has the Optus Stadium injury curse transferred across to cricket?

AFL side West Coast have been plagued by foot injuries since they started playing games at the $1.6 billion venue in 2018, and Fremantle have also encountered some issues.

Both the Eagles and Dockers were so concerned about the hard nature of the field that they stopped training at the venue for a period last season.

Cricketers haven't endured the same problems at the venue in the past.

But two soft tissue injuries in as many days during the day-night Test between Australia and New Zealand have raised some questions about whether Optus Stadium played any part in the ailments.

Debutant Kiwi paceman Lockie Ferguson injured his right calf on the opening day after bowling 11 overs.

And Australian speedster Josh Hazlewood lasted just eight balls before suffering a tear to his left hamstring on Friday.

But given the main problems encountered by the AFL sides were related to foot problems, the soft tissue injuries suffered during the day-night Test may be nothing more than bad luck.

WACA chief executive Christina Matthews said the Australian camp didn't have any concerns about the surface.

"I don't think the injuries to pace bowlers are anything to do with the ground," Matthews told SEN.

"I spoke to Justin (Langer) this morning, and he didn't indicate anything. He's been nothing but complimentary about the surface."

Kiwi paceman Neil Wagner, who sent down 37 overs himself with no issues, said it was a bit tricky adapting to the conditions at the venue.

"The ground was quite hard and the wicket - the surface itself - was quite soft," Wagner said.

"So you are running off a hard ground to soft wicket, which is sometimes a little bit the opposite in New Zealand - you are running off a soft ground onto a harder wicket.

"It was a tough graft. But there's nothing new to us, it's just about adapting."

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