Warner to grit teeth and play through pain barrier

DAVID Warner ripped his groin tendon so badly last November that the 34-year-old is facing another nine months of rehabilitation.

Warner made the stunning revelation on Monday night after he was again left out of the NSW Sheffield Shield squad and warned that he was at least another two weeks away from playing.

Warner has been told to trick his brain into ignoring the searing pain levels so that he can bat freely in a year where he shapes as Australia’s biggest weapon at the Twenty20 World Cup in India.

Warner grimaced through two Test matches against India last month, but the destructive opener’s special powers were clearly diluted as he struggled to lunge and move freely.

Warner is still restricted to straight-line running some 85 days after breaking down in the field at the SCG. He is close to sprinting in a straight line – but still not quite there.

“Next week I’ll be picking up throwing,” Warner said on Monday night. “(That was) very difficult the last couple of weeks, even trying to throw.

“Now it’s all about lateral (movement), running between the wickets.

“It’s going to aggravate me for the next six to nine months.

“But I’m sure the medicos will help me out there.”

Warner was named in the Test squad that was due to face South Africa next month although the revelation casts doubt that he would’ve been fit for the start of that tour, which will no longer go ahead.

Warner has spoken to other athletes who have suffered similar damage to groin tendons. “You’ve got to teach your brain not to worry about the pain and it’s not going to happen again,” he said on Fox Cricket.