Yannic Cariah, Floyd Reifer undergo surgery after blow to face

West Indies leg-spinner Yannic Cariah has successfully undergone surgery to repair a fracture on his nose after being struck on it during training ahead of his side's first game against the USA in the ongoing ICC World Cup Qualifiers. The surgery is believed to have taken place in Harare on Thursday (June 22) and is now under the care of Cricket West Indies' (CWI) medical time, the board said in a statement.

The decision on Cariah's availability for the tournament will be made depending on how quickly he recovers.

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Yannic Cariah underwent a surgical procedure to repair a fracture to his nose.
A decision on when he can return to play will be made in the coming days, as the medical team support his recovery. #MenInMaroon pic.twitter.com/7nCAWSYyCc

— Windies Cricket (@windiescricket) June 23, 2023

"The surgical procedure was performed in Harare on Thursday evening," said a team spokesman.

"Cariah will remain with the squad under the care of the medical team whilst he recovers. A decision on when he can return to play will be made in the coming days, as the medical team support his recovery."

Assistant coach Floyd Reifer was also struck on his face on Wednesday (June 21) and has undergone a similar procedure. However, he will continue his coaching duties while remaining under the watchful eyes of the medical team.

West Indies have done exceptionally well in the Qualifiers so far. In their first game, they overcame USA by 39 runs and followed that up with a 101-run thrashing of Nepal.

They perhaps face their most challenging game of the tournament when they take on hosts Zimbabwe in Group A at the Harare Sports Club on Saturday (June 24).