Australian fast bowler Darcie Brown wasn’t allowed to walk anywhere as she recovered from a serious foot injury

When she had to drive her dog to the park and let it run around for exercise because she couldn’t even walk, the T20 World Cup seemed a long way away for Darcie Brown.

Even taking her dog for a walk was “impossible” as Australian speedster Darcie Brown endured a tough recovery from a foot injury, but that setback has steeled her for Australia’s T20 World Cup campaign that begins on Saturday.

In March, Brown was diagnosed with a stress injury to the navicular bone in her left foot, a similar injury to the one that plagued fellow fast bowler Tayla Vlaeminck, casting fears about whether the 21-year-old would make Australia’s quest for a fourth straight T20 World Cup.

She was ordered to stay off her feet completely to allow her foot to heal, lucky that team medicos caught the injury early, picked up in a scan of a sore ankle.

Brown called her rehab, and the lack of moving around freely, the “toughest little patch I’ve had”, the only saving grace a big gap in the international playing schedule, leaving her with the World Cup to get ready for as a priority.

“It’s been a weird off-season in terms of that, it was really strange, and probably the toughest little patch I’ve had, not being able to do a whole lot in our time off,” she said in the UAE ahead of Australia’s opening clash with Sri Lanka on Saturday.

“But because it was our time off (at least) I didn’t end up missing too much cricket.

Darcie Brown back doing what she does best. Picture: Albert Perez/Getty Images

“Just taking the dog for a walk was impossible, so I’d drive her to the park, and I’d lay down, and I’d actually fall asleep sometimes, because I wasn’t allowed to walk anywhere.

“I was allowed 3000 steps for a big period, and then 5000 for another big period.

“All in all, it’s gotten my foot right and hopefully set me up for the future.”

Brown has had a good sounding board for her problems in Vlaeminck, who has also overcome injury issues to be part of the World Cup squad, with the chance the two tearaways could play in the same team at some stage in the tournament.

“We get on like a house on fire, so she’s been there to talk me through it, and we’ve messaged each other a lot during that period,” Brown said.

“She’s checking in on me because she obviously knows how hard it is. But going forward, it’s been really nice to be back out there with the girls and getting into it.”

Brown getting her training reps in. Picture: Albert Perez/Getty Images

The World Cup was moved from Bangladesh due to political unrest, and the Australians have been adjusting to the different conditions since arriving in Dubai on the weekend.

“We’ve been doing our heat acclimation training in the saunas,” Brown said.

The three-time defending champions had a warm-up win over England and will face the West Indies on Tuesday night, with injury concerns still lingering around batting dynamo Phoebe Litchfield heading into Saturday’s opening game.

Originally published as Australian fast bowler Darcie Brown wasn’t allowed to walk anywhere as she recovered from a serious foot injury