Mitchell Johnson out of Australia's T20 World Cup squad
Star paceman's absence is a blow to Australia's chances of winning the title for the first time
Paceman Mitchell Johnson was ruled out of the Twenty20 World Cup by an infected big toe yesterday in a blow to Australia's hopes of snaring the one major trophy they have never won.
The 32-year-old, the form bowler in world cricket at the moment, will be replaced by fellow left-arm quick Doug Bollinger for the tournament that began in Bangladesh yesterday.
Johnson fired Australia to a 5-0 Ashes sweep over the new year and a 2-1 test series triumph in South Africa over the past few weeks but cut the big toe on his right foot in the third test against the Proteas.
His infection hasn't responded to the treatment as quickly as we had hoped with swelling remaining in his toe and foot
The initial prognosis was that his departure for Bangladesh would only be delayed but Johnson had not made the sort of progress originally envisioned.
"We have given Mitchell as long as we can but unfortunately his infection hasn't responded to the treatment as quickly as we had hoped with swelling remaining in his toe and foot," Cricket Australia's Dr Justin Paoloni said yesterday.
"It is difficult to say how quickly the infection will take to resolve and, due to the high risk of the infection recurring with a return to bowling, we feel it is in the best interests of Mitchell's health for him to continue to receive intensive treatment in Perth."
Bollinger, 32, has played just two Twenty20s for Australia, against South Africa in 2011, but brings a wealth of experience of the shortest form of the game in the subcontinent courtesy of his time in the Indian Premier League.