James Pattinson’s career has been plagued by injuries © Getty Images
Fast bowler James Pattinson‘s international future is clouded, after scans showed a recurrence of shin stress problems, following his exertions for Australia in their recent Test series victory in New Zealand.
“James had a recurrence of his left shin soreness following the second Test in Christchurch and had follow-up scans in Melbourne yesterday,” Australia physio David Beakley said. “These scans have shown some inflammation around the shin consistent with bone stress. James will now require some time off to allow this injury to resolve and will not be available for the remainder of the domestic cricket season.”
After working to find his rhythm in Wellington, Pattinson bowled with pace, hostility and accuracy in Christchurch, while also gaining useful reverse swing. However his demanding stints at Hagley Oval, including one eight-over spell in which he claimed two vital wickets, have taken a toll.
The shin soreness had been a problem for Pattinson earlier in the summer. Following the West Indies series, he was unavailable for Big Bash League and Sheffield Shield duty until immediately before the New Zealand tour began. He had admitted previously that he was gambling on his maturing body being able to cope with the stresses of his action, which has been modified several times in order to try to reduce chances of an injury.
After his debut against New Zealand in November 2011, Pattinson was first ruled out of Australian duty by a foot stress fracture at the SCG in January 2012. He did not return to the team until South Africa’s visit in November of the same year, whereupon he suffered a torn side in Adelaide and resumed on the tour of India the following year. He then suffered further injury during the Lord’s Ashes Test, and was out of Test cricket until the third Test of the 2014 tour of South Africa due to a back stress fracture.
Having bowled well there, Pattinson was found to have suffered the early signs of more back stress, and was again kept out of international cricket for a long time, not playing a Test again until Hobart against the West Indies last December.
Daniel Brettig is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo. @danbrettig
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Source: ESPN Crickinfo