By IANS
Melbourne : Australian opening batsman Matthew Hayden has turned to acupuncture to try to save his immediate Test future but concedes he could be out for a month with a mysterious hamstring injury, the Australian media reported here Friday.
Hayden has had several sessions of acupuncture this week to try to speed up his recovery.
“The acupuncture helps him relax and decreases muscle spasm around the injury,” Australian physiotherapist Alex Kountouris was quoted as saying by the Herald Sun. “It is a treatment he has responded pretty well to in the past.”
Hayden will fly to Perth with the rest of his teammates Saturday, where Kountouris will put him through his paces. His fitness test will involve several strength tests, which will show whether the injury has improved. If it hasn’t, Hayden is likely to be ruled out immediately and Chris Rogers drafted in.
“It will be a strength test where he will use his legs to push against me, in a couple of different ways at a couple of different angles,” Kountouris said. “I will be looking to see the improvement he has made, if any. If he hasn’t made any improvement it really decreases his chances of playing.”
Hayden said that he is hopeful of making the XI for the third Test in Perth starting Wednesday but he knows that he is far from certain of passing a searching strength test on the weekend. Medicos say he could be out for between one and five weeks.
“That is fair to say, it is really too hard to tell at the moment. I’ve been basically resting this week and I don’t know there’s anything more I can do. I just have to let it heal,” Hayden said.
“I am going to fly over to Perth and I’ve got until the weekend to have some more treatment. I am hopeful (of playing). I am not too sure.”
Hayden has been included in Australia’s unchanged squad for the third Test but it is understood selectors considered naming prolific West Australian opener Chris Rogers as a standby.