James Pattinson and Peter Siddle face lengthy roads back after being ruled out of Australia's tour of Sri Lanka with back stress fractures
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James Pattinson's Test career has again been stalled by injury, with the fast bowler to miss Australia's tour of Sri Lanka with the return of the back stress fracture issues that have plagued the Victorian.
Pattinson was not considered for selection in the 15-man squad for the three-Test tour of Sri Lanka, alongside fellow Victorian bowler Peter Siddle, who is also recovering from a back injury.
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Pattinson developed a "bone stress injury" in his left shin following the Christchurch Test against New Zealand in February. That injury ruled him out for the remainder of the domestic summer.
Now CA medical staff have confirmed the 26-year-old is sidelined indefinitely with a recurrence of the back stress fractures that have consistently interrupted his 17-Test career.
"James experienced lower back pain during the second Test against New Zealand in Christchurch and was given some time to rest," Cricket Australia's Bupa Support Team Physiotherapist David Beakley said in a statement today.
"Unfortunately his back pain continued during this time and after further investigation it confirmed that he has had a recurrence of a back stress fracture.
"James will continue to spend the winter recovering from this injury, at which point we hope to have a clearer view of timelines for his return to play."
It's a further blow to the right-armer who had hoped an altered bowling action, which allowed him to operate from a more 'side-on' release point and ease the stress on his troublesome back, would prevent future stress fractures.
Pattinson burst on to the Test scene with a man-of-the-match performance in his debut Test against New Zealand in Brisbane in 2011 but has been troubled by injuries regularly since.
Stress fractures in his back sidelined him midway through the 2013 Ashes series in the UK and kept him out of action for almost eight months.
He returned for the Cape Town Test against South Africa in February 2014, an unofficial world championship that Australia won in memorable circumstances late on the fifth afternoon, but Pattinson's career then stalled for nearly two years because of back and hamstring problems.
He returned to the Test arena last December against the West Indies, taking 13 wickets at an average of 22.46 in three Tests.
Pattinson later revealed he ditched the remodelled action mid-Test against the West Indies in Hobart, claiming it robbed him of pace and control.
"It was frustrating because I had changed my action and I didn't feel completely comfortable with it," Pattinson said in the wake of Australia's victory by an innings and 212 runs achieved in barely two-and-a-half days.
"So in the second innings here (in Hobart) I just went 'stuff it really, I'm just going to go out and try and bowl like I used to bowl' and just run in and bowl fast.
"I thought if I bowl like I did in the first innings I probably won't be getting too many more games, so (I had) better change something.
"I've made the change to try and stop injuries but now that I'm back in the team and I'm a bit older, hopefully my body will hold up and I can go back a little bit to where I was when I first started playing.
"Because that's when I think I'm bowling my best."
Pattinson was put in cotton wool for the Big Bash season as he nursed a shin complaint following that Windies series and then sat out the first Test against New Zealand in February.
He then returned to the Australia XI for the second match in Christchurch, taking six wickets as Australia reclaimed the No.1 Test ranking, replacing Siddle.
Pattinson's shin complaint worsened following the Christchurch Test, leading to him being ruled out of the remainder of the Shield season as Victoria pushed towards a second consecutive first-class title.
Siddle will also miss the Sri Lanka tour as he continues to recover from stress fractures in his lower back picked up on the New Zealand tour.
Siddle was ruled out of the second Test against New Zealand at Hagley Oval after he reported back pain during the first match in Wellington.
He returned to Australia for further examination of the injury, which showed stress fractures in his lower back.
It continued a frustrating summer for Siddle, who had earlier been ruled out of the third Test against the West Indies at the SCG due to an ankle injury in January.
After the stress fractures were discovered, Beakley confirmed a prolonged period of rest was the only cure.
The 31-year-old, who has taken 208 wickets in 61 Tests for Australia, took the opportunity to also undergo exploratory surgery on his left ankle which troubled him during the Australian summer, and recently confirmed on social media he had returned to training following his ankle surgery.