Cameron Bancroft has been ruled out of the Shield final after a cycling accident.

Cameron Bancroft will be unavailable for the upcoming Sheffield Shield final against Tasmania due to concussion. The opening batter, a passionate cyclist, hit his head after falling from cycle on Sunday (March 17), thereby leading to his concussion.

Bancroft has been a pivotal part of Western Australia's batting outfit. He's not only their leading run-scorer this season but also the second highest overall in the run making charts. Over the last five seasons, no batter has scored as many Sheffield Shield runs as Bancroft who has amassed over 3000 runs in the competition.

Having won the Shield title for two seasons in a row, Western Australia are eyeing an enviable three-peat this time around but Bancroft's absence does come as a major blow for the defending champions.

The 31-year-old has been the mainstay of the batting, often bailing them out from crisis situations on tricky surfaces, the most recent being the win against Victoria which got Western Australia into the final. Bancroft's 778 runs at an average of 48.6 in the ongoing 2023-24 season is only bettered by Tasmania's Beau Webster (914 runs at 65.3).

With Bancroft ruled out, Western Australia will have to choose between Teague Wyllie and Cooper Connolly for replacing the opening batter in the XI. Should they seal the Shield title, Western Australia will be the first team in Australia's domestic cricket history to hold the Shield and One-Day Cup titles for three years in a row.