Thurston helps Lynn shoulder load

Injury-plagued batsman Chris Lynn was back doing what he does best on Monday, this time with a helping hand from one of the greats of another sport.

Six-hitting sensation Lynn took a major step in his recovery from the shoulder injury that ended his return to Australia's T20 side last month ahead of his departure for the Indian Premier League this Sunday.

Fellow IPL-bound Queenslanders Billy Stanlake and Ben Cutting trained with Lynn at Allan Border Field as day four of the Bulls’ JLT Sheffield Shield final against Tasmania unfolded.

In his first full-scale net session since dislocating his right shoulder while fielding in Auckland, the explosive right-hander sported a specially-designed shoulder stabiliser that rugby league star Johnathan Thurston has given him.

The strap is attached to his upper thigh and upper arm and is commonly worn by NRL players looking to limit the range to which their shoulder can be stretched.

Lynn wore the stabiliser for the first time on Monday and it's understood he's open to donning it both while batting and in the field when he resumes playing, as he targets a return for the Kolkata Knight Riders' opening game of the forthcoming IPL season on April 8.

The 27-year-old, who also resumed throwing with his dominant left arm last week, was bought by the Jacques Kallis and Simon Katich-coached franchise for A$1.86 million, the most expensive Australian signed at last month's auction.

Speaking to cricket.com.au on Friday about his recovery, Lynn said: "It's tracking really nicely. It's a short turnaround with the timeframe that we've got but it's all going well.

"The docs and the physios are happy so that's all I can do. Fingers crossed I can keep going in the right direction and try to make myself available for the first game of the IPL.

"If not, it's not the end of the world but I'm doing everything I can to get back out there.

"I've had a bat during the week just on throwdowns, so I'll ramp it up against 'Cuttsy' and Billy Stanlake. If I can get through those two blokes, I'll know I'm going OK."

Although Lynn's latest injury was cruelly caused by his effort to protect his left shoulder, medical staff have given him firm 'no diving' instructions for future games.

It's no major change to how he's approached fielding since returning from a third major left shoulder injury in two years this summer, but his latest setback has meant that message has well and truly sunk in.

"I was trying to cover my left arm because I knew if I did that again, god knows what's going to happen," Lynn said.

"I was trying to compensate for it and that's when it popped out, I put myself in a vulnerable position, which I wouldn’t have done if I had two good shoulders.

"There's some strict and stern words of no diving (from medical staff), every hour of the day I get those words thrown at me.

"I just want to play some cricket – I've missed so much cricket over the last three years.

"It's happened and I'll definitely learn from that. Now I can't dive at all on any side – I'm going to struggle because I'm such a competitive person but I've got to come to the realisation that if I want to keep playing cricket for a number of years, I can't dive.

"It sucks, it kills me on the inside but it is what is."

Cutting (Mumbai Indians, $426,000) and Stanlake (bought by Sunrisers Hyderabad for A$97,000) will also head to India to join their respective franchises this weekend.

The Cricket Australia-contracted Stanlake, who collected eight wickets at 20.75 in Australia's recent trans-Tasman T20 tri-series triumph, has not been considered for Sheffield Shield selection in the back half of the season as Queensland and CA carefully manage the towering quick.

He's set to link up with Sunrisers captain David Warner and coach Tom Moody, while Cutting features in the same squad as Test paceman Pat Cummins at Mumbai.