Wareham's season in tatters as scans confirm ACL injury

21 Oct 2021 Martin Smith

Scans confirm the Australia and Melbourne Renegades spinner ruptured her ACL during a WBBL game in Hobart

Star Australian spinner Georgia Wareham looks set to miss both this summer's Ashes series and next year's ODI World Cup after rupturing her ACL.

In devastating news for the 22-year-old spinner, scans have confirmed the injury to her left knee after she fell awkwardly during a Weber WBBL match in Hobart yesterday.

Wareham had a synthetic (LARS) ligament reconstruction in the same knee when she was a teenager.

Cricket Australia has not provided a timeline on Wareham's recovery, but ACL injuries can take many months and even up to a year to fully recover.

Image Id: 00B09CE60C3A4350833BC36C9AAD39CD Image Caption: Wareham was in obvious pain after suffering the injury // Getty

It means she's now in serious doubt for the Ashes against England in January and February, the World Cup in New Zealand and even the Commonwealth Games in July and August next year.

Playing for the Melbourne Renegades, Wareham suffered the injury while attempting to change direction in the field in the 12th over of Adelaide's innings at Blundstone Arena.

She immediately clutched her knee and pounded the turf with her fist, spending several minutes on the ground before she was able to limp from the field with assistance.

"Georgia ... had an ACL rupture on the same knee at the age of 14 whilst playing AFL which was reconstructed using a synthetic (LARS) ligament," Australian team doctor Pip Inge said in a statement.

"Whilst in the field yesterday she had an instability episode of the left knee resulting in a rupture of the graft.

"As a result she will be unavailable for the remainder of the WBBL season. Cricket Australia and Cricket Victoria medical staff are working in consultation with Georgia on the longer term management plan."

Wareham missed the majority of WBBL|06 with a stress reaction in her lower leg, but recovered for the Women's National Cricket League and tour of New Zealand in the second half of the 2020-21 summer.

She has been a fixture in the Australia squad since debuting in late 2018, and has been the only wrist spinner in the national squad throughout that period alongside off-spinner Ashleigh Gardner and Molly Strano, and left-armers Jess Jonassen and Sophie Molineux.