Steve Smith ‘rattled’ and ‘spaced out’ after suffering concussion

Steve Smith was feeling “rattled” and “spaced out” after suffering concussion on Sunday night, according to his new Australian teammate Josh Inglis.

Smith was still sore on Monday after a spectacular leap in the field as he tried to save a six in the second Twenty20 International against Sri Lanka at the SCG, which Australia won in a super over to go 2-0 up in the five-match series.

Steve Smith hit on the head.

He lay on the ground holding his head before being helped to his feet by medical staff and led slowly around the outside of the boundary rope.

“We spoke to ‘Smudge’ last night. I’m pretty sure he knocked himself out when he hit his head,” Inglis said in Canberra on Monday before Tuesday night’s third T20 match against Sri Lanka at Manuka Oval.

“Fingers crossed for Steve. Hopefully, he’s OK and pulls up well over the next few days. I haven’t seen him today. I didn’t see him much last night. I think he was a bit spaced.

“It was a brilliant piece of work. It was six in the end, which was unfortunate. That would have won the game for us if the ball managed to stay in.

“He was a bit rattled. Obviously, he hit his head hard. He wasn’t in a great space. We’ll see how he is in the next few days.”

Smith took to Twitter on Monday to thank his many well wishers.

“Thanks everyone for reaching out. My head has felt better but I will be OK,” he tweeted.

Cricket Australia remainS hopeful that Steve Smith will be fit to fly to Pakistan with the Test squad in a fortnight despite suffering his third concussion inside three years.

Former Australian team doctor Peter Brukner claims Smith would need to be “completely symptom free” before being allowed to join the team on the flight to Pakistan.

“Flying can exacerbate concussion,” Dr Brukner told the Herald and The Age. “There is reduced oxygen and you’re sitting still.

“You’d hope he’d be OK but every concussion is different and he’s had a few now. He’ll be closely monitored like a player who would need to be 100 per cent to return to play.”

Australia fly to Pakistan inside two weeks, with the first Test scheduled to start on March 4 IN Rawalpindi – 18 days after he suffered the concussion.

This is the same length of time he missed in England during the 2019 Ashes after he was hit in the head by a Jofra Archer short ball during the second Test at Lord’s and became the first player subbed out of a Test for concussion. Smith was subsequently ruled out of the third Test.

A year later, Smith again suffered concussion in England when he was hit in the head with a bouncer at practice the day before the first of three one-day matches and ended up missing the week-long series.

Another talented batsman with more serious concussion issues, Will Pucovski, 24, does not intend to retire, according to Cricket Victoria’s general manager of cricket performance, Shaun Graf.

Pucovski was substituted out of Victoria’s Sheffield Shield game on Saturday after a volleyball hit him on the head during the warm-up.

It is believed to be the 11th concussion for Pucovski, who made his Test debut against India last summer before suffering a long-term shoulder injury that delayed his start to this season.

“He’s realistic, he understands that this is bad and if it keeps going, it can’t be good for his health long-term,” Graf told SEN on Monday. “He does understand that, but being a young lad he still wants to play.”

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