England fast bowler Harry Gurney, who specializes in the T20 format of the game, has been ruled out of the 2020 Vitality Blast due to a shoulder injury. The pacer will now undergo an operation in September, which puts his participation in IPL 2020 in doubt.
The Nottingham born cricketer, expressed his disappointment on picking up the injury, mentioning that he is ‘devastated’ to miss out on the Vitality T20 Blast and a golden opportunity to get some cricket under his belt.
“Having gone through the same frustrations as everyone this year in waiting for cricket to restart, I’m devastated to have to miss the Blast,” he said in a talk with trentbridge.co.uk.
The Nottinghamshire Outlaws player remarked that some of his most memorable moments on the field of cricket have come with his local team, which makes it even more difficult to stay away from the field.
“Some of the proudest moments in my career have been with the Notts, and nothing quite compares to being out on the field at Trent Bridge competing for trophies with some of my best mates. To have that taken away for a year is tough,” Gurney added.
The 33-year-old further mentioned that he will be supporting his teammates from his couch, and will just be a call away for any tactical advice.
“I have a huge amount of faith in the squad of players and in their ability to go deep in the tournament. I’ll be cheering them on for sure, and will be there with a word of advice or tactical input whenever it’s needed,” the pacer added.
Gurney is also a part of the Kolkata Knight Riders squad for the upcoming IPL. Prior to IPL 2019, Gurney was picked up by the KKR franchise during the auction and has gone on to play eight matches for the team led by Dinesh Karthik.
KKR are yet to give out an official statement on his injury despite the IPL tournament around the corner. It could be a huge blow for KKR in case he is ruled out of IPL 2020, considering his expertise in T20 cricket and how he has become a household name in different T20 leagues across the planet.
This injury could have further problems for Gurney as a standout IPL season for him could possibly pave way for his inclusion in England’s squad for the T20 World Cup due next year.
