“It’s just got to the stage where he can’t function anymore”

Image courtesy of: Zimbio

Australia batsman Chris Lynn has been ruled out for the rest of the ongoing ODI series against Pakistan due to a neck injury.

Lynn, who made his ODI debut in the first ODI in Brisbane, has aggravated an existing injury, but Australia are confident that he will have made a full recovery prior to the Twenty20 series against Sri Lanka next month.

“He’s obviously been playing in a lot of pain, even through the BBL,” Australia head coach Darren Lehmann said. “It’s just got to the stage where he can’t function anymore.

“He’s got a couple of weeks with really no cricket, light duties … a little bit of physical stuff but nothing weight-bearing. He’s got to calm down the neck – it’s quite aggravated. He’ll start his rehab as of now, but he won’t be doing too much strenuous stuff before hopefully getting back for the Sri Lankan series.”

With Lynn out of action, Australia have called up Peter Handscomb as his replacement. The 25-year-old has yet to feature in an ODI, but was in superb form in the recent three-Test series against the same opposition as he scored 344 runs, which included two centuries and a fifty, at an average of 114.66.

“He’s done really well, he’s been outstanding,” Lehmann said. “A good reward for a good summer. We want four quality batters going at the top, so he’ll get his chance there … That number four spot is there and Peter has done a really good job for us in the Test matches, so he gets another crack at it.

“He played a very good one-day sort of innings for us in the Sydney Test match, where we scored quite quickly. He’s got all the shots and he’s quite innovative. But if we lose early wickets he can consolidate from there.”

Meanwhile, left-arm seamer Mitchell Starc will be rested for the third ODI in Perth and Billy Stanlake, who made his ODI debut in Brisbane, will come back into the side.

“He’s tall and he’s got some bounce, so we think he’ll be quite effective here,” Lehmann said.

Australia and Pakistan are tied at 1-1 coming into the third ODI as Australia won the first match by 92 runs before Pakistan bounced back with a six-wicket win in the second ODI in Melbourne.