Huge blow for Australia ahead of the Ashes

Pattinson
James Pattinson to miss the Ashes due to an injury. Image Source: ICC

Internet Desk: James Pattinson’s bid to make a comeback to international cricket received yet another setback after the Australian paceman re-aggravated a stress fracture of the lower back that will force him to take an indefinite break for recovery.

Cricket Australia confirmed on Wednesday that Pattinson, who was in Australia’s Champions Trophy squad but did not figure in the XI, had been ruled out of the Ashes, beginning in Brisbane next month.

Pattinson, 27, has had a long history of injuries and was recently withdrawn from the drawn Test series in Bangladesh as Cricket Australia sought to monitor and manage his pain. This was following a reasonably successful stint with Nottinghamshire in Division Two of the English County Championship, where he took 12 wickets in two first-class games.

Alex Kountouris, the Sports Science and Sports Medicine Manager, said: “Soon after returning from the UK, following the Champions Trophy and his county cricket contract, James presented with back pain. We made the decision to withdraw him from the Tour of Bangladesh and monitor his pain.

“He returned to bowling after a period of rest and unfortunately he is still experiencing pain with bowling. During this time, we have been monitoring him, including regular scans, and recent imaging has confirmed that James has begun to reaggravate his previous lower back stress fracture.”

Kountouris added that Pattinson was therefore no longer bowling at nets. “As such, he has discontinued bowling as part of his recovery, which unfortunately means that he will be unavailable for the beginning of the Sheffield Shield and subsequently Ashes campaign,” he went on.

“Whilst this is very disappointing that James has reaggravated this old injury, we are confident that he can recover from this and return to playing. However, James’ current injury is complex because his history of old stress fractures from his teenage years means there is one part of his spine that absorbs more force than it would normally do.

“This is the area the of current reaggravation but we are hopeful that we can put strategies in place to help manage this when James returns to playing,” said Kountouris.

Pattinson, who played the last of his 17 Tests in February last year, was understandably gutted. “Obviously I am extremely disappointed with this setback after just getting back into a good run of playing cricket,” he said. “I’m especially disappointed to miss out on the possibility to play in a home Ashes series. Over the next few weeks, I will discuss all available options available to me with medical staff, to work out the best plan to prevent this from happening again.”

Pattinson has taken 70 wickets in his 17 Tests at 26.15, including four five-wicket hauls. He also has 16 wickets in 15 One-Day Internationals and three scalps in four Twenty20 Internationals.

Courtesy- ICC Media.