Behrendorff back surgery
HAVING considered retirement after five years of back injuries, Australian World Cup paceman Jason Behrendorff will have the same surgery that propelled James Pattinson to an international comeback.
Behrendorff will go to New Zealand next week for the spinal procedure and will miss the 2019-20 home season.
The 29-year-old impressed in the latter stages of the World Cup campaign in England but returned to Western Australia with increased lower back pain related to a recurrent lumbar stress fracture that has troubled him since 2015.
It has not responded to rest or treatment. Spinal surgeon Rowan Schouten will carry out the procedure that involves metal pins, wire and a graft from the hip bone.
Pattinson had the surgery in 2017 and made an international return in August when he played in two Ashes Tests.
“I caught up with him over the phone and just had a really good frank chat about how it was — the good, the bad and the indifferent — and he laid it all on the table for me,” Behrendorff said yesterday.
“He was glowing in terms of the positive outcome that he had. He’s obviously back playing Test cricket and things are going really well for him.”
The left-arm paceman’s latest setback prompted him to weigh up his future.
“I really was questioning whether I would be happy enough to give it away or whether I was keen to do the hard work and get back again,” he said.
“I knew that whatever I had to do, I’d do it and get back to playing cricket because I love what I do and I’m not ready to give it away yet.”
Should everything go to plan, Behrendorff hopes to be in the selection frame for the World T20 next November.
Boasting a first-class record of 126 wickets at 23.85, Behrendorff has not given up on eventually returning to redball cricket.