SYDNEY: Australian paceman Joe Mennie suffered a ‘minor brain bleed’ and fractured skull after a ball hit his head during training, Cricket Australia (CA) said on Wednesday.

Mennie was bowling at a nets session with his Twenty20 Big Bash League team the Sydney Sixers in Brisbane on Monday when a ball struck the side of his head.

The 28-year-old was struck by a ball hit by Sixers team-mate Michael Lumb ahead of their Big Bash semi-final against Brisbane Heats.

CA chief medical officer John Orchard said Mennie was initially discharged from hospital that night but follow-up scans the next day revealed his injures were worse than first thought.

“Joe was reviewed by a Cricket Australia doctor on Tuesday and had some scans performed that revealed a small fracture and associated minor brain bleed,” Orchard said in a statement.

The medic described the injury as serious but said Mennie was ‘feeling well’.

“We believe that this is a stable injury and will not require surgery,” he added. “As a precautionary measure, Joe has been admitted to hospital for observation and will continue to be assessed by a neurosurgeon to determine best course of action.”

Mennie was released from hospital on Wednesday and was cleared to fly out from Brisbane with his team on Thursday, the Sydney Morning Herald reported.

The newspaper said he would not play in the semis and would be monitored over the next few days.

Mennie, who made his Test debut for Australia against South Africa last November, remained in hospital under the care of a neurosurgeon for observation, Orchard added.

Published in Dawn, January 26th, 2017