Steve Smith breaks silence on horror injury in WTC Final, ruled out of....

Australia National Cricket Team modern-day batting great Steve Smith has finally broken his silence on the horrific finger injury he sustained during the ICC World Test Championship 2023-25 Final.

Smith's finger injury will keep him out of the first Test of the three-match series against the West Indies National Cricket Team, which will start in Barbados on 25 June, as per BBC.

Also Read: Temba Bavuma reveals Pat Cummins & Co. mocked South Africa with 'Chokers' sledge in WTC Final

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I will be in a splint for eight weeks now - Steve Smith

Steve Smith hurt the little finger of his right hand while fielding in the slips on Day 3 of the ICC World Test Championship Final against the Proteas.

He was standing close to Temba Bavuma in the slips with the helmet on, and as the batter nicked a delivery from Mitchell Starc behind the stumps, Steve Smith went for the catch.

Smith, despite being one of the most reliable fielders in the team, spilled the chance, and, alongside giving a lifeline to the South African skipper, he sustained a brutal injury on his finger.

Later, it was confirmed that Smith had suffered a compound dislocation to the little finger of his right hand. Although he has avoided surgery, he has been advised by the medical staff to wear a splint for eight weeks. Speaking about his injury for the first time, Smith said (as quoted by ICC):

“I will be in a splint for eight weeks now and I may be able to play with it in a couple of weeks. It will depend on my functionality and what I am able to do, so it was probably the best result I could have hoped for."

I was standing pretty close with the helmet on - Steve Smith

Steve Smith said that he was standing closer to the batter because a lot of edges fell short of the first and second slip due to the uneven bounce on the pitch, and when Bavuma edged one behind, he lost sight of the ball. He explained:

"I was standing pretty close with the helmet on and as we saw throughout the game a lot of nicks went short of first and second slip.

"The plan was to stand pretty close and I lost sight of it with the angle that Mitchell Starc was bowling and it kind of went inside Bavuma's hip and I didn't quite see it until really late and it kind of dipped on me a little bit late too as well.

"It was tricky, it didn't go in my hand very well and fortunately there is no break there and it just split the skin and dislocated it which made me feel pretty ill at that stage."

I have a love/hate relationship with this place now - Steve Smith

Playing at the home of cricket, Lord's, is a privilege for any cricketer, but Steve Smith admitted that he has a love/hate relationship with the venue because of the past incidents that have happened with him. He said:

"I have a love/hate relationship with this place now. I have had some good memories here and some not so good ones as well. Getting hit in the head by Jofra (Archer) in 2019 and now having my digit knocked off out here yesterday as well.

"But it’s a wonderful place to play cricket and I have enjoyed it here and it was a real good game of cricket again."