Hobart Hurricanes captain Matthew Wade is taking an indefinite break from the Big Bash League, with the franchise citing personal reasons for the decision.
The Hurricanes are priced at 6/1 to win the Big Bash League but will now be missing their skipper for most of the remaining fixtures it looks like.
It is not great timing for the Hurricanes who are looking to snap a two-game losing streak against the Brisbane Heat at the Gabba on Saturday night.
They currently sit fourth on the ladder and Peter Handscomb will take over as captain for now with Ben McDermott filling in as wicketkeeper in the absence of Wade.
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The Canes would not go into detail, just confirming Wade needs to take some time away from the game.
"He's okay. It's just something he's working through at the moment," Hurricanes coach Adam Griffith told reporters. "We don't really have a timeline just as yet, but we're hopeful of having him back at the back-end of the tournament."
There is some good news for the Hurricanes though as fast bowler Riley Meredith is back available after bowling just one over in the loss to the Strikers on Wednesday.
"It was probably a case of caution the other night. We didn't want to risk him. It was pretty wet and he was coming back from a hamstring (injury) as well," Griffin added.
"We could have potentially pushed him but we've still got a big tournament to play.
"It's just a little rib thing. It's something he's had for a period of time on and off over the last six-to-12 months."
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