Matthew Kuhnemann raring to go for Sri Lanka thanks to off-duty doctor

Injured spin bowler Matt Kuhnemann is off the pain-killers and in contention to play a Test next week thanks to the eagle eye of an off-duty doctor, reports ROBERT CRADDOCK.

Injured spin bowler Matt Kuhnemann is off the pain-killers and in contention to play a Test next week thanks to the eagle eye of an off-duty doctor.

Kuhnemann batted, bowled and fielded without pain in his recently dislocated right thumb in an early morning session at Brisbane’s Allan Border Field on Thursday.

It’s understood he has been given the green light to travel to Sri Lanka on Friday where he will join his teammates in Galle for Wednesday’s first Test.

“I am feeling really good and very grateful how it progressed last week,’’ Kuhnemann said who feels – if chosen – he would be up to playing in the first Test.

“I stopped the pain killers a few days ago. There is not much pain at all any more.’’

Matt Kuhnemann with his injured thumb. Picture: Robert Craddock

Kuhnemann was counting his good fortune that surgeon Dr Steve Frederiksen was at the Gabba with his family when he saw Kuhnemann dislocate his thumb when fielding a ball smacked back at him by Matt Wade in a Big Bash game last Thursday night.

The doctor instantly sensed the ramifications to Kuhnemann’s career and took swift action.

“I met him at the hospital that night and he put the finger back in and then he operated on it seven hours later the next morning. He has helped with my fingers before. His son loves cricket. I am very grateful.’’

It is legal for bowlers to wear splints on their non-bowling hands and Kuhnemann insists the neatly fitting covering he will wear on his thumb will not be a distraction.

“If anything I think it can make you more confident because you know the finger is covered. The surgeon has put a nail in it and if anything it (the finger) is probably more stable than it was before. I have had problems with it.’’

Kuhnemann has splints made for all of his fingers and wore a splint on the damaged thumb on the last tour of India.

Kuhnemann said there was no psychological hurdles to overcome in playing with a recently dislocated finger.

“That is cricket in general. I have had balls hit back at me a lot harder and I have been fine. It was one of those freak things where it hit the exact spot it had to to cause damage.’’

Steve Smith, who recently starred for the Sixers in the BBL, has joined the Australian team ahead of the Test against Sri Lanka. Picture: Getty Images

The bulk of the Australian squad assembled at the start of the week in Dubai for a pre-tour training camp.

Steve Smith - who will serve as captain for the tour - arrived late after consulting a specialist over an elbow injury sustained while playing for the Sydney Sixers.

But Smith has been cleared to play in a series where he needs one run to reach the 10,000 milestone in Test cricket.

Originally published as Matthew Kuhnemann raring to go for Sri Lanka thanks to off-duty doctor