The Sydney Sixers have lost three of its key team members in the ongoing Big Bash League 2021-22. While the two pacers in Tom Curran and Ben Manenti have been ruled out for the entire season with deep injuries, experienced spinner Steve O'Keefe has also been sidelined for at least a week with a calf strain.
Curran, who complained of a back spasm in the Sixers’ last game against Melbourne Stars at the MCG is found to have a troublesome hotspot in the back has forced the fast bowler to leave the tournament and return to the United Kingdom for rehabilitation.
The 24-year-old right-arm off-break bowler Manenti suffered a neck stress fracture and has been ruled out due to it. With Manenti out and O'Keefe on a short term break, the Sixers are left with only Llyod Pope as their pure spin-bowling option going forward.
Even after all these injury concerns, the pink team’s skipper Moises Henriques is not at all worried as he believes that his team always comes prepared with 18 guys who can be match ready. Hence even if three guys have suffered injuries, the all-rounder believes that rather than being a setback, it can be an opportunity for the remaining guys to step up.
"We pride ourselves on being a club and a team that embraces challenges but to lose players of the calibre of Tom and Ben, and to have SOK on the sidelines, would be a challenge for any team and those guys aren't simply replaced," the captain said.
"On and off the field, all three of those guys play a massive role for us and their presence around the team and skills on the field will be missed by everybody in the group. But for us, we always look to have 18-match ready players in our squad and we see it as an opportunity for others within our group.
We saw Ben Dwarshuis return from injury this week, Jackson Bird isn't too far away and Sean Abbott is back after the birth of his daughter, so there is no need to panic," he added.
Sixers are currently sitting at the top of the table with 11 points in their kitty having registered three wins out of four games that they have played so far.