Hastings Suffers Finger Injury

The injury scourge for Australia's pacemen has continued with John Hastings, the bustling Victorian bowler, confirmed to have broken his left index finger in an incident at Victorian training on Thursday (October 20).

The 30-year-old is likely to miss four to six weeks, meaning he will be absent for the start of the Sheffield Shield season and is in doubt for Australia's One-Day International series against New Zealand in early December.

Hastings's accurate and probing bowling has become a key component in Australia's ODI attack and he has played 15 matches this year. Since debuting in 2010, he has played 28 ODIs and taken 40 wickets at average of 29.67.

Hastings's lone Test match was against South Africa at the WACA in 2012.

The setback is another dent in Australia's pace stocks with Peter Siddle, James Pattinson, Pat Cummins, Nathan Coulter-Nile and Mitchell Starc all having suffered major injuries this year.

Serious back injuries have all but ended Coulter-Nile and Pattinson's Australian season. Cummins, who hasn't played a Test match since his spectacular debut as an 18-year-old five years ago, has impressed in the Matador Cup but is unlikely to make a Test comeback this summer.

After a horrific leg gash injury during a recent training mishap, Starc is likely to play in the first Test against South Africa at the WACA starting on November 3 in a rare bout of good news for Australia's beleaguered pace stocks. Siddle, who has taken 208 wiclets from 61 Tests, could also be a starter in Perth after impressing during the Matador Cup.