Australian batsman Shaun Marsh will miss upcoming tours in Zimbabwe and the United Arab Emirates after opting for elbow surgery.
Hoping to play in this summer’s pivotal series against India and ensure his fitness for next year’s ICC ODI World Cup on home soil, Marsh will have surgery to repair a “pretty significant injury” sustained during his recent stint in the Indian Premier League.
“We don’t see it much in cricket; it’s more common in baseball,” Cricket Australia team physio Alex Kountouris said of Marsh’s persistent elbow issue.
“Cricketers tend to cope with just a short period of rest and they come back and do well. Shaun has had a short period of rest, but it’s still a problem and we know that surgery takes a long time to recover.
“There’s a three-to-four month recovery period and we’ve chosen to go ahead with that because it gives him time to play for Western Australia and prepare for the World Cup and the Ashes next year.”
Marsh’s recovery and rehab schedule will force him out of August and September’s seven-match ODI tri-series in Zimbabwe, also featuring South Africa; and a two-Test, three-ODI and one-T20 series against Pakistan in the UAE in October and November.
Marsh faces a race against time to reach full fitness for a Test return ahead of India’s tour of Australia in early December after falling off the Test radar earlier in the year.
The 31-year-old Western Australian managed just two matches for Kings Punjab XI in the IPL this season after being dropped for producing consecutive ducks in the second Test of Australia’s 2-1 series win against South Africa in February and March.
Marsh was however one of the heroes in Australia’s 281-run first Test victory against the Proteas in Centurion, scoring 148 and 44 in the series opener.
Photo: Morne de Klerk/Getty Images
