Horrific injury puts Kieswetter in hospital
London: Somerset wicketkeeper-batsman Craig Kieswetter has confirmed that he will undergo an eye operation after a horrific facial injury during a county game against Northamptonshire, but clarified that his eye is safe. Kieswetter, who has represented England in 46 one-day internationals, sustained a fractured cheekbone and broken nose after a David Willey bouncer sneaked inside the helmet grill while batting on the opening day of Somerset’s LV County Championship clash at Wantage Road on Saturday. Kieswetter, 26, posted a picture on his Twitter account of the damage caused, with his right eye swollen shut and a dark purple patch surrounding the area. “Injury update: broken nose and a fractured orbital socket. Surgery is required but thankfully no lasting damage to the eye,” he tweeted. It is not known how long Kieswetter will be absent for, with replacement wicketkeeper Alex Barrow taking his place behind the stumps in the current fixture. (PTI)
Surgery gives Woods fresh perspective
HOYLAKE (UK): Tiger Woods’s back operation in March robbed the former world number one of a quarter of the golf season but at least it has given him a fresh outlook on his career. The 14-time major champion will be making his second competitive appearance in four months at this week’s British Open and Woods is just happy to be back at the venue of his memorable 2006 victory at Royal Liverpool. “With this particular injury with my back I didn’t want to do anything,” Woods told reporters on Tuesday. “I couldn’t get out of bed and I couldn’t move around the house. That made me appreciate just how fortunate I was to be able to play at that high level for the better part of 17 years. It made me appreciate that a lot more.” Woods famously won the 2008 US Open, the most recent of his major triumphs, virtually on one leg due to anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) problems that eventually led to surgery. “When I had no ACL and my leg was pretty trashed I could actually still go out there and play,” explained the 38-year-old American. “I couldn’t do that with this back injury. I couldn’t actually enjoy my life…the daily things of just moving around. It wasn’t a whole lot of fun.” Woods missed the cut on his comeback at the Quicken Loans National event in Maryland last month but he is delighted just to be pain-free these days. (Reuters)
Athletics team for CWG pruned to 32
New Delhi: The Athletics Federation of India pruned the number of track and field participants in the upcoming Commonwealth Games from the original 41 to 32 on Tuesday, leaving out young sprinter Dutee Chand, who reportedly has been under a gender test scanner, at the last minute. Controversial triple jumper Renjith Maheswary and the six-member men’s 4x100m relay team also got the axe on the ground of unsatisfactory performance. The 18-year-old Dutee Chand has reportedly been under the scanner with the Sports Authority of India having ordered a gender test on her. SAI Director General Jiji Thomson confirmed that a woman athlete underwent a gender test in Bangalore but refused to name her. “A gender test was conducted on a woman athlete in Bangalore. If she is there in the list of CWG participants, her name will have to be deleted from the list,” Thomson told PTI. (PTI)