The Sydney Thunder have suffered a monumental blow on the eve of their BBL campaign with captain David Warner ruled out of the grand final rematch against the Hobart Hurricanes.
The former international superstar reportedly suffered a right side injury while running around with his children on the sand a few days ago.
Warner averaged 45 in last season’s BBL and played a key role in helping the Thunder reach the final where they were on the receiving end of a Mitch Owen masterclass with the bat.
The veteran opener will miss the trip to Tasmania but is expected to return in time for Saturday’s Sydney derby.
“We try not to dwell too much on the past but last year’s loss in the Grand Final is going to act as fuel for us on Tuesday,” Sydney Thunder general manager Trent Copeland said.
“It’s obviously not ideal to not have Davey but we’d rather be careful earlier in the tournament. I’m confident he’ll be right for our biggest game of the year, the Sydney Smash on Saturday.”
Warner recently said that he was no certainty to partner Sam Konstas at the top of the order in this year’s BBL and that he could slide down the order based on match-ups.
“That’s more for a match-up and strategic point of view,” the destructive batter said.
“We don’t have that left-hander in the middle [order] that we’ve been looking for. It’s a conversation we’re having at the moment.”
Cameron Bancroft is likely to open on Tuesday night, while Chris Green will replace Warner as captain.
Right-arm bowler Charlie Anderson replaces Warner in the squad as the local replacement player.
The 20-year-old has taken five wickets in three List A matches and has impressed officials at the club as he looks to push for more opportunities.
“Charlie Anderson is one of the brightest young talents in the whole country, as we’ve seen with Australia A and NSW in recent times,” Copeland said.
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