Proteas wicket-keeper batsman, Quinton de Kock, will undergo a late fitness test on Friday to determine his availability for the third Test match against New Zealand starting in Hamilton on Saturday. De Kock injured his right index finger during the second Test in Wellington, with subsequent scans revealing an injury to the tendon.
Proteas team manager, Dr Mohammed Moosajee commented on the injury: “Quinton sustained an injury to his right index finger during the last Test match in Wellington. At the time, we had an x-ray done to exclude a fracture, and thankfully that was clear. However, he still complained of pain and discomfort in the finger so we had a scan done in Hamilton on Wednesday which revealed tendon damage to the last digit of the index finger.
“We will make a late call on his availability for the match on Friday after he undergoes a fitness test with protective strapping to see if he will be able to bat or keep wicket. Either way, he is going to need a protected period of recovery which will take between 4-6 weeks. In the long-term, there is every likelihood of him missing out on the IPL because of the expected recovery time.
“Being a wicket-keeper, every time he catches the ball there is strain on the finger and it makes it difficult to allow for sufficient time to recover,” he added. “If he doesn’t have the 4-6 weeks’ recovery time, further activity could aggravate the injury and it could even jeopardise his participation in the upcoming and the full tour to England.”