Ruled out ... Australia's Patrick Cummins will be unavailabe for selection until mid-January. Photo: AFPThe 18-year-old fast bowler was making a slower-than-expected recovery from a heel problem incurred during his breathtaking debut in Johannesburg last month and further scans have revealed a more serious injury that will keep him from bowling for at least another month.
“Patrick injured his heel early into the second Test against South Africa. By the end of the match he was quite sore and we had scans done after the game that confirmed heel 'fat pad' injury. On return to Australia, he was given some time to recover and was reviewed throughout last week by NSW medical staff and then by myself in Brisbane during the first Vodafone Test versus New Zealand," said Australian team physiotherapist Alex Kountouris.
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"By the end of last week it was apparent to all of us managing him that he was progressing slower than expected for a soft-tissue injury of the heel. As such we arranged for him to see a foot specialist and had further scans that have identified a bone component to his injury, that was not evident on the original scans. We now believe that Patrick has a bone stress injury as well as the 'fat pad' injury. This means that his recovery will take longer than first expected. He is not likely to resume bowling until early to mid-January 2012.”Cricket fans had been salivating at the prospect of watching the hottest young pace prospect in the world bowl to the greatest batsman of his generation from Boxing Day at the MCG but now it seems Cummins' best-case scenario is a return for the fourth Test of the series in Adelaide from January 24.
He will also miss the Big Bash League in which he would have been a star attraction in a new-ball partnership with Brett Lee for the Sydney Sixers.
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