Australian Cricketer Out Of World Cup Match After Freak Golf Cart Injury

Australian all-rounder Glenn Maxwell has been ruled out of his country's Cricket World Cup group-stage clash with England on Saturday after suffering a concussion as a result of falling from a golf cart.

There were reportedly not enough seats for the players, with Maxwell said to be gripping onto the back of the cart on the way from the clubhouse to the team bus before falling off.

The incident occurred on Monday when some members of the Australian squad went to play golf in Ahmedabad, India during a pre-planned day off. The five-time World Cup winners say Maxwell sustained no further damage and should return to the squad for the latter part of their group-stage fixtures.

"There was nothing untoward in the behaviour throughout the day: it was a clear-cut accident and unfortunately it's compromised what we are doing as a team," team coach Andrew McDonald said, per ESPN cricinfo.

Maxwell is reportedly a member of Sanctuary Lakes to the west of Melbourne, where he was a 2 handicap in 2020 according to Golf Australia. He is said to have been as low as 0.7 pre-Covid.

The 35-year-old broke his leg last year while at a friend's birthday party and was forced to miss a One Day International Series against England.

He recovered in time to play at the T20 World Cup in Australia later that year, but England's Jonny Bairstow was not so lucky as he also suffered a broken leg while out playing golf. The Yorkshireman was the victim of "a freak injury" in late August when slipping as he walked to a tee box and breaking the lower half of his left leg.

Maxwell's latest tale of woe is far from the first time a sport star has been injured playing a different game. Back in 2015, Rory McIlroy infamously damaged his ankle ligaments while playing soccer with friends back home in Northern Ireland.

The injury forced him out of The Open Championship that year, with McIlroy unable to defend his Claret Jug at St Andrews.

Maxwell - who is nicknamed 'The Big Show' after a number of memorable batting displays throughout his career - blasted a 40-ball century against The Netherlands last week, the fastest ton in World Cup history.

Australia remain in with an excellent chance of reaching the knock-out stages in India, despite losing Maxwell for at least one game, while England are all but out already following a dismal campaign that has featured just one win from six matches.