Sheffield Shield: West Australian captain Sam Whiteman to miss match after bizarre beach injury

West Australian captain Sam Whiteman will miss the first Sheffield Shield match of the year after a cut on his foot became infected. The West Australian can reveal the opener — who was not contracted to a Big Bash League franchise — was at the beach during the break when he picked up the wound, which later became infected. The 32-year-old has not played at any level since WA’s four-day defeat to New South Wales in Sydney before the Shield break. WA take on South Australia at the WACA Ground from February 8, three weeks after Perth Scorchers’ campaign finished with a win over Adelaide Strikers at Optus Stadium. Medical staff have not put a clear timeline on his recovery, but The West understands it is not expected to be a long-term injury. He is not the first WA player to be injured in the water. Selectors were eager to give Cooper Connolly a first-class debut in the first match of last season before he sliced his foot open in a boating accident. It continues an interrupted season for Whiteman, who missed three games across a month with a side strain he picked up in an innocuous incident during a training session in Hobart during the first week of November. He has scored 184 runs from three matches this season at 30.66, including a century at the WACA Ground against Queensland. WA Cricket expects Ashton Turner — the white-ball captain who deputised for Whiteman in November — to be available for that match after a stint with Pretoria Capitals in the SA20 competition. That’s despite the Capitals beating Joburg Super Kings on Tuesday night and keeping their play-off hopes alive. The final — if they were to make an unlikely run to reach it — is on February 8, the same day the shield match begins. Whiteman’s opening partner Cam Bancroft is still recovering from the shoulder injury he sustained in a gut-wrenching clash with Sydney Thunder teammate Daniel Sams at Optus Stadium on January 3. Bancroft broke his nose and shoulder in the fielding collision and is expected to be out of action until the final games of the shield season. Adam Voges’ side will also be without Connolly and Josh Inglis, who are both on national team duty in Sri Lanka, while Aaron Hardie and Mitch Marsh will also be overseas with Australia’s one-day squad. It means Scorchers breakout batsman Sam Fanning is firming to play his fourth match for the season, while forgotten top-order batter Teague Wyllie is a strong chance to be recalled for just his second match of the season. WA’s No.3 Jayden Goodwin bolstered his stocks with national selectors further by scoring 70 on the opening day of Australia A’s four-day match against England Lions in Sydney.