Australian fastbowler James Pattinson has explained the procedure behind his recent back surgery, saying a return to Test cricket was the driving factor for getting it done.
Pattinson was ruled out of the current Ashes campaign in early October, as he took an indefinite break from cricket to correct an aggravation of a lower back stress fracture.
Even though the Victorian watered down media speculation of the seriousness of the operation, he did concede it was a complicated one.
“I got a bit of surgery done on my back to hopefully put a bit of reinforcement in there to stop this one area from re-fracturing again,” Pattinson told SEN’s The Run Home.
“It’s a bit of a risk but a lot of bowlers have it done and manage to come back from it. It’s worth a try.
“When you read things in the media they like to blow it up. It was definitely not fussed.
“The reason we want over there is they use a good technique where they don’t actually touch the fracture with any pins or anything like that.
“They put the pins there as an anchor and they anchor a wire around that area to basically clamp it shut so there is no movement.
“It stops the stress from going in that area. The surgery wasn’t as big and bad as it was made out to be.
“They did a bone graft in my hip, so I have a new bone for my hip in that actual fracture, so they’re trying to strengthen that area up to give it a bit more reinforcement.”
Pattinson has played 17 Test matches across his career, taking 70 wickets in those appearances. He says the success he has experienced at Test level is the motivation behind having the back cleanup.
“The big thing on getting the operation was I probably couldn’t have had the operation and settled to play the shorter format of the game,” Pattinson said.
“Being 27 and having a pretty good Test record and doing quite well, I think that’s the big thing that’s kept me pushing on and trying to get back.
“When I’m up and playing, I find I can handle it pretty well, do well and have good success. I think that’s the driving thing.
“If I was an average player and struggled to get a game, it would be easier to walk away.
“I can compete at the highest level, that’s a factor that keeps me going. I decided to have the surgery so hopefully it allows me to get back and play Test cricket.”
While he did put a line through his name for the rest of the summer, Pattinson gave no definitive timeframe on a return.
Did you miss James Pattinson’s chat on The Run Home? Take a listen in the player below!