Faf du Plessis' injury comes at a time when the sport is reeling from the Christian Eriksen collapse on the field during the Euro 2020 encounter between Denmark and Finland.
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June 12, 2021 will be remembered as a day of fear and sadness in the sporting world. In the Euro 2020 encounter between Denmark and Finland, Christian Eriksen collapsed on the field and had to be hospitalized. The visuals of Eriksen being stretchered off and his wife crying did not make for good viewing. At the same time, players and fans prayed for his recovery. It was a welcome sign of relief when it was announced that Eriksen was stable and responding to treatment.
At the same time, in another part of the world and in a different sport, there was another injury that left fans worried. During the Pakistan Super League clash between Quetta Gladiators and Peshawar Zalmi, there was a nasty moment on the field. Faf du Plessis was involved in a nasty collision with Mohammad Hasnain. Du Plessis slid to stop the ball but Hasnain was also converging. The former South Africa skipper slid but his head collided with Hasnain’s knee.
The incident occurred in the seventh over of the Peshawar Zalmi innings. David Miller slogged Mohammad Nawaz straight down the ground. Du Plessis from long-on and Hasnain from long-off converged to save the ball from going to the fence. But neither of the two could stop in time. Du Plessis lay motionless on the ground and the medical staff had to come on the field.
Praying to Almighty for the speedy recovery and a good health for #FafduPlessis
— An Indian ??? (@real_farooque07) June 12, 2021
May he #getwellsoon ! pic.twitter.com/TT1JaTGFCH
Du Plessis was taken to hospital for treatment. Soon after the incident, social media was flooded with tweets which wished a speedy recovery for Du Plessis. The initial result could be a bad concussion and that could keep Du Plessis on the sidelines for some time. The match, though, was not postponed or cancelled and Peshawar Zalmi won the match by 61 runs.
The Pakistan Super League resumed in the UAE after the first stage of the tournament was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic. Several players were laid low by the coronavirus and the bio-bubble was breached.
The incidents to Du Plessis and Eriksen summed up a bad day for sporting personalities on June 12. While both of them are out of danger, it must be worth remembering that none of the matches were postponed or cancelled.
In the Euro 2020 game, the match was suspended for close to two hours. Towards midnight India time, UEFA released a tweet stating that the match was resuming. This came after the Danish Football Association announced that Eriksen was awake and stable in hospital. Both sets of players told soccer’s European governing body UEFA they wanted to continue.
Eriksen began his career with Ajax after joining the Dutch giants’ academy as a teenager. He represented the club between 2008 and 2013, during which he helped the club in winning four Eredivisie titles. Eriksen recorded 30 assists (the second-best total in the Eredivisie), maintained the best pass accuracy as well as the most assists from dead-ball situations in his final two seasons at the Dutch club.
Christian Eriksen did not take much time in showcasing his capabilities, emerging as one of the top players in the English club. The Danish midfielder scored 51 goals in 226 appearances for Tottenham, with 62 assists in the same number of games.
When Faf du Plessis announced his retirement from Test cricket in February 2021, it was sad news for Proteas fans. Du Plessis took the decision in order to prolong his T20 career. Following his retirement, du Plessis was a vital cog in the Chennai Super Kings line-up. His opening partnership with Ruturaj Gaikwad formed the basis for Chennai Super Kings’ dominant start to IPL 2021.
Du Plessis will be a vital member of the South African team when the ICC World T20 is being played from the period of October to November. His current form suggests that he can give aggressive starts to the team. South Africa are currently touring West Indies for two Tests and five Twenty20 Internationals. It will be interesting to see whether Du Plessis can make it for the five T20Is that begin after the Tests.
South Africa registered a comprehensive innings win against West Indies with Quinton de Kock scoring a century. His 141 was the first century since 2019. West Indies did not recover after being bowled out for 97 in the first innings with Lungi Ngidi taking five wickets. Rabada took five wickets in the second innings as West Indies were bowled out for 162.
The second Test will also be played at the Darren Sammy stadium in St Lucia as West Indies aim to achieve their first Test win against the Proteas since 2008.
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