Cricket World Cup 2023: Travis Head faces fiery initiation targeting his broken hand

Travis Head can expect a Black Caps bouncer barrage targeting his recently broken hand if he returns for Australia on Saturday, says Mark Waugh.

Travis Head can expect a bouncer barrage targeting his recently broken hand, in what shapes as a fiery initiation into the World Cup furnace.

That’s according to Australian great Mark Waugh, who believes New Zealand will try and unleash 150km/h speed demon Lockie Ferguson to soften up the opener if he returns against the Black Caps on Saturday in Dharamsala.

Head hasn’t batted in six weeks since having his hand broken by South Africa in a World Cup lead-up game, and Australia need him to immediately hit his stride to help wrap up a semi-final berth.

Standing in his way is the kiwis and one of the quickest bowlers in world cricket and Fox Cricket expert Waugh expects the famously nice guy New Zealanders to get ruthless.

Travis Head can expect some fiery bowling when he returns to the pitch. Picture: Robert Cianflone/Getty Images

“A guy like Lockie Ferguson, he’s got good pace and for England (in the following group game), Mark Wood … so you’d be mad not to be bowling short at him,” Waugh told this masthead ahead of Fox and Kayo’s live coverage of the trans-Tasman showdown.

“I have no doubt England and New Zealand will bowl short at him. They’ll be looking to test out his finger and hand injuries.

“It won’t be easy for Travis but hopefully he can get back into his groove fairly quickly.

“A lot of the pitches have been quite slow (so bowling short) isn’t going to be easy … but I think it’s one area where he could be exploited a little bit.

“The short ball toughening him up.

“I think they’ll make it a little difficult for him. I would anyway if I was bowling at that speed.”

Australia took the safety first approach in not rushing Head back against the Netherlands, acknowledging that it would be reckless to expose the gun run-maker before he’s fully fit after such a challenging injury for a batsman.

Head is set to move Mitchell Marsh down to No.3 – much to the surprise of incumbent first-drop Steve Smith, who would shift down to No.4.

New Zealand's Lockie Ferguson. Picture: Money Sharma/AFP

Smith might be shocked that selectors would move him away from the position where he has such a domineering career record in ODI cricket, but Waugh doesn’t feel the demotion should impact on Smith’s ability to influence a match.

“Steve said he wants to bat at 3 but I think he’s good enough to bat anywhere and four is probably the spot that he can shuffle down to,” Waugh said.

“I think Mitch deserves to get in there early given the way he’s batting.”

Meanwhile, Waugh believes David Warner’s back-to-back hundreds will secure the champion opener his dream home Test farewell against Pakistan at the Sydney Cricket Ground … if there was any doubt in the first place.

“If he was to have batted poorly in this World Cup and looked completely out of nick then I think the selectors would be worried about that translating to red ball cricket, but that hasn’t been the case,” Waugh said after Warner followed up his blockbusting ton against Pakistan with another 100 against the Dutch.

“He’ll start the summer definitely in the Test matches. Barring a major collapse in form I think he’ll play the full summer against Pakistan in the Test team and then retire.”

Originally published as Cricket World Cup 2023: Travis Head faces fiery initiation targeting his broken hand