Steve Smith trained in a baseball cage in New York to be fit for Australia's Caribbean test
ST GEORGES: Charismatic Australian batter Steve Smith's quick recovery from a "compound dislocation" in the little finger of his right hand, and his sooner-than-expected return to the squad for the second Test against West Indies has a baseball twist to it.
Smith has suffered an injury to his right little finger while trying to take a difficult catch off South African captain Temba Bavuma at first slip during the World Test Championship final at Lord's earlier this month.
The 36-year-old former Australian skipper immediately left London after his wound was cleaned, stitched and his finger placed in a splint.
Instead of waiting for the injury to heal by itself, he decided to hit the "baseball cage" in New York, where he owns an apartment.
The injury forced him to miss the opening game of the three-Test series against the Caribbean in Barbados from June 25 to 27, which Australia won by 159 runs.
In New York, he began by facing tennis balls and other soft balls in the nets before facing the hard cricket ball.
"My mate actually told me about it, which was ideal because it was pretty warm there (in New York)," Smith was quoted as saying in ESPNcricinfo.
"Underneath this bridge there was a batting cage, and he was able to throw me a few balls there, so it was good to be in the shade, it was pretty hot there," he said.
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