South African fast bowler Anrich Nortje says he could have suffered a serious injury when Spidercam knocked him to the ground while he was fielding during the second day of the second Test at the MCG on Tuesday.
“Definitely,” Nortje said when asked whether he could have been badly hurt.
“The one thing we’ve spoken about earlier is how low it is, and it probably shouldn’t be … unless for interviews or something. I don’t think it should be travelling at head height.”
Nortje was hit on the upper-left side of his body and ended up flat on the ground, but got up straight away and was able to continue.
“So far so good. It just knocked the shoulder and the elbow, the elbow’s a bit sore, but otherwise seems to be OK. I’ll just monitor it [and] see how it goes with doc.”
The incident happened during the second session and Spidercam was not used for the rest of day two.
Anrich Nortje after he was hit by Spidercam.Credit:AP
A Cricket Australia spokesman said the incident was “human error” and that Spidercam would be used again on Wednesday with “additional measures”.
He said the host broadcaster, Fox Sports, had spoken to the South Africans. Fox Sports declined the comment.
Under protocols agreed between Cricket Australia, Fox Sports and the International Cricket Council match referee, Spidercam is required to travel at least three and a half metres above the ground.
Understandably, the impact came as a surprise for Nortje.
Anrich Nortje celebrates Steve Smith’s wicket on day two.Credit:AP
“I saw cables and then I moved my head and then I saw the camera and I was a little bit too late. It was quite quick,” he said. “I didn’t know what really hit me, to be honest. It didn’t really change my mindset or anything. I tried to stay focused.”
Play was held up briefly when players noticed Nortje on the ground.
“I was batting and I just saw him on the deck,” Steve Smith said later. “It’s obviously not ideal, but I’m not really sure what happened here. I can’t really say much about it, but I’m glad he was OK.”
The bizarre incident happened moments after Nortje’s awesome post-lunch exhibition of pace bowling on day two of the Boxing Day Test.
The four-over spell conceded 11 runs and deserved at least a couple of wickets.
There were a couple of near-misses for Smith and David Warner, who needed treatment after a Nortje thunderbolt jammed a finger against the bat handle.
It was telling that Warner did not bring up his century until Nortje’s spell was over.
Nortje’s deliveries in the spell routinely clocked more than 150km/h and peaked at 155.
The South African paceman was true to his word, saying in a pre-match media conference their attack would ask questions of the Australian top order.
With AAP
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