Steve Smith has been ruled out of the final day of the second Ashes Test against England at Lord’s with delayed concussion, Cricket Australia has announced.
Smith was struck on the neck by a Jofra Archer delivery during Saturday’s play, but returned to bat after initially retiring hurt. The 30-year-old has now been withdrawn from the match after a further concussion test on Sunday “demonstrated some deterioration” in his condition.
“Steve has been closely monitored by medical staff overnight and this morning reported that after sleeping well, he woke with ‘a bit of a headache and a feeling of grogginess’,” a Cricket Australia statement said.
“As part of the Cricket Australia concussion protocol, repeat testing of Steve Smith was also performed this morning and demonstrated some deterioration, which is consistent with the emergence of the symptoms he was reporting.
“On that basis, Steve has been withdrawn from the match by team doctor Richard Saw and the Australia team will lodge an application for a concussion substitute with the match referee in line with the ICC protocol.”
Marnus Labuschagne has now replaced Smith in the tourists’ line-up for the final day, becoming the first concussion substitute in Test cricket.
Smith will undergo a precautionary scan on his neck later on Sunday, and will be assessed further before the third Test at Headingley which starts on Thursday – but Cricket Australia believe the short turnaround “is not in his favour”.
“Cricket Australia statistics show that 30% of concussions in Australian cricket are delayed,” continued the statement. “It is not uncommon for players to pass their tests and feel well on the day of an injury and then display symptoms 24-48 hours later.
“In terms of Steve’s availability for the third Test, this will be considered over the coming days but the short turnaround to the next Test is not in his favour. Steve’s fitness will be assessed on an ongoing basis.”
Smith said it was the correct decision for him to sit out the final day and expressed his desire to return at Headingley. “With the tests I’ve done and how I’ve woken up today it’s the right decision. I’d love to be out there trying to keep performing and trying to help Australia to win another Test match, but the right decision has been made and I’ll be monitored very closely for the next few days,” he told Cricket Australia.
“It’s obviously a quick turnaround between Test matches and I’m going to be assessed over the next five or six days. Each day probably a couple of times to see how I’m feeling and progressing,” Smith added “Hopefully I will be available for [the Headingley] Test match. It’s certainly up to the medical staff, we’ll have conversations. It’s certainly an area of concern, concussion, and I want to be 100% fit.”
Archer said on Sunday that his “heart skipped a beat” after his short ball struck Smith on day four.
The 24-year-old fast bowler said the post-lunch barrage of short-balls – with another hitting Smith on the arm – was simply a case of getting him “rattled”, but there was genuine concern for the batsman after another delivery hit him on the neck.
Speaking to BBC TMS, Archer said: “That is never the plan [to hit a batsman]. You are trying to get a wicket first. To see him go down, everyone stopped and everyone’s heart skipped a beat.
“After he got up, he was moving around and you breathe a sigh of relief. No one wants to see anyone getting carried off on a stretcher. It was a good challenge, a really good spell. For me, I wouldn’t like to see it end like that.”