In a huge blow to Sydney Sixers, Tom Curran has been ruled out of the entire ongoing Big Bash League (BBL) season while Steve O’Keefe and Ben Manenti also joins the list.
Curran will now immediately return to England while O’Keefe has been ruled out for the “short term”. Manenti, on the other hand, has also been ruled out of the entire tournament after suffering a neck stress fracture.
Commenting on the development, Sydney Sixers’ skipper Moises Henriques said: “We pride ourselves on being a club and a team that embraces challenges but to lose players of the calibre of Tom and Ben, and to have SOK on the sidelines, would be a challenge for any team and those guys aren’t simply replaced,” Henriques said.”
“On and off the field, all three of those guys play a massive role for us and their presence around the team and skills on the field will be missed by everybody in the group. But for us, we always look to have 18-match ready players in our squad and we see it as an opportunity for others within our group,” he added.
The Sixers’ skipper further expressed that the recent development will serve as an opportunity for the other talented players in his side, who really deserved.
“There are guys like Lloyd Pope and Mickey Edwards who really deserve an opportunity, but due to the strength of our list haven’t been able to get as many chances as they deserve, so it will be a great little period for those guys to have a run of games,” Henriques said.
“We also saw Ben Dwarshuis return from injury this week, Jackson Bird isn’t too far away and Sean Abbott is back after the birth of his daughter, so there is no need to panic,” he added.
The Sixers also said in a statement that the team management will explore the injury replacement player options in coming days.
The Sixers’ will next face the Adelaide Strikers in their final pre-Christmas fixture at their home ground – Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) on Tuesday.
With three wins from four games so far in the ongoing season, the Sixers are at the first place with 11 points in their kitty and are followed by Perth Scorchers and Melbourne Stars at the second and third place. While the Scorchers have 10 points from three games, the Stars have seven from four matches.