Nottinghamshire all-rounder Steven Mullaney hopes to have a bat back in his hand by the New Year, after his stint in Australia was cut short by a broken finger.
Having had surgery on the injured digit, Mullaney is back in training at Trent Bridge and has his sights set on a full run-in to the 2017 season.
“I am absolutely gutted, we were just six weeks in and it felt like we were getting everything settled with what we were working on with the players,” he said.
“I flew home on the 16th and went straight into surgery on the 18th and now I can start doing a few small exercises.
“With a bit of luck I should be back batting in the middle of January with some light tennis balls, and then ready to go properly at the beginning of February.
“At the minute I am just on the bike but hopefully, through working closely with Pipey (James Pipe the new physio), I can start doing some running and a little weights soon enough.”
As captain/coach with the Buckley Ridges in Australia, Mullaney was constantly in the thick of things, making two half centuries and taking two five-wicket hauls in his five matches.
Joined by Luke Fletcher and a former Nottinghamshire great David Hussey, Mullaney was relishing the prospect of a fruitful winter Down Under.
“I love having the extra responsibility of team selection and it is something I would have liked to do for a full six months,” said Mullaney.
“With captaincy and coaching you see people getting the reward for the work and it is disappointing I couldn’t do it for longer.
“Fletch is working really hard over there, getting fit, batting well and the ball is coming out nicely.
“The standard is really competitive, probably above club cricket over here as the training is a lot more intense and there’s a lot of passion shown by the guys.
“There is a lot of sledging flying about as well, but luckily I didn’t cop much this year.
“Perhaps it is because I am old, I’m 30 and they probably feel a bit sorry for me.
“It is a good standard and great for any county cricketer, or any other player in England, to go over and experience it.”
Barbados Pre-Season Tour
The destination for Nottinghamshire’s March pre-season tour has once again been confirmed as the historic cricketing island of Barbados.
With the tour coinciding with a One-Day International showdown between England and the West Indies at the Kensington Oval, there’s even more cricketing action for supporters to enjoy whilst soaking up the Caribbean sun.
Notts, under the stewardship of new Head Coach Peter Moores, will face county opposition in both red and white ball cricket during the tour, including the defence of the Barbados T20 Cup.
As well as a pre-season tour package, options will be available to include the Barbados ODI – and to take the short flight to Antigua for the other two fixtures in the three match series.
Smile Group Travel are an established partner of Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club’s pre-season tours, with travel, accommodation, airport & match transfers and invitations to additional events included as part of all packages.
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