Abdominal strain forces Steve Smith to quit CPL midway

Smith scored 185 runs at an average of 26.4 in seven innings in the CPL.

Steve Smith, the suspended Australian skipper, had to quit his participation from the ongoing Caribbean Premier League (CPL) as he sustained an abdominal strain. He has to return home following the incident.

During the toss ahead of the game against St Lucia Stars, Barbados Tridents skipper Jason Holder stated that Smith had an abdominal strain. Later, the coach Robin Singh confirmed that Smith had a side strain, and had returned home to Australia to treat the injury.

Ahead of the league, Smith signed the contract with Barbados as a replacement for Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan. It was his debut to this tournament which came following his 12-month suspension for ball tampering.

Despite being not so regular on the cricket field, Smith showed a decent form in the tournament. He slammed a half-century and a couple of 40s, and even returning 2/19 in the game he scored 63 in, against Jamaica Tallawahs, in a Player of the Match award-winning performance.

Smith and Warner received 12-month bans for their roles in the South African ball-tampering scandal in March. But the ban applies only to international matches and those under the direct control of Cricket Australia. The pair has been free to play in overseas and independent leagues.