Australian Bowler Hit On The Head, Suffers 'Brain Bleed'

Australian fast bowler Joe Mennie was on Tuesday hit on the head during training and suffered a fractured skull and 'minor brain bleed', Cricket Australia said in a statement. Mennie was hit while bowling in the nets session of Twenty20 Big Bash League team, the Sydney Sixers, in Brisbane, when a ball struck the side of his head. Cricket Australia Chief Medical Officer John Orchard said Mennie was initially discharged from the hospital that night but follow-up scans the next day revealed his injures were worse than they 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 medical officer 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 Mennie has been admitted to hospital for observation and will continue to be assessed by a neurosurgeon to determine best course of action."

Later, the Sydney Morning Herald reported that Mennie was released from the hospital and was cleared to fly out from Brisbane with his team. The Sixers are due to take on the Brisbane Heat in the BBL semi-final on Wednesday night.

The newspaper added that he would not play in the semi-final match and would be monitored over the next few days.

(With inputs from AFP)