Recovering Lynn not considered for tours

Six-hitting sensation Chris Lynn was not considered for selection in Australia's upcoming limited-overs tours of the United Kingdom and Zimbabwe despite having made a successful return from injury in the Indian Premier League.  

It's understood Lynn, who injured his right shoulder in Australia's T20 trans-Tasman tri-series final against New Zealand in February, has been deemed unfit for the rigours of both one-day and T20 international cricket. 

The 28-year-old, the most expensive Australian in the IPL having been bought for A$1.86 million, has played in all 10 of the Kolkata Knight Riders' games this season.

But he remains limited in his ability to throw with his dominant left arm while he's also been instructed not to dive in the field given he's injured both shoulders doing so in recent years. 

Lynn is set to see a specialist on his return to Australia later this month when the lucrative Indian T20 tournament concludes, having flagged a potential return to domestic one-day cricket in Queensland's JLT Cup campaign at the beginning of next summer. He has not played a 50-over game at any level since his ODI debut in January 2017. 

The Brisbane Heat star was recalled to Australia's ODI squad to play England in January despite having just three KFC Big Bash League games under his belt following major off-season surgery on his left shoulder, before being subsequently ruled out of the five-match campaign with a calf injury and admitting he was not yet ready to return to ODI cricket. 

Lynn was then picked in Australia's T20 squad for matches against New Zealand and England, with captain David Warner hiding him in low-traffic areas of the field throughout the tournament.

The right-hander has passed 50 twice for fourth-placed KKR so far this IPL season and has scored 277 runs at 31 with a strike-rate of 133.81 – a little down on his career mark of 146.96.

Ahead of the tournament, Lynn had been practicing batting with a specially-designed shoulder stabiliser that was given to him by rugby league star Johnathan Thurston with the intention of using it in the IPL.

The strap, which attaches to his upper thigh and upper arm, can be adjusted to limit the range his shoulder can be stretched. 

Lynn had just resumed throwing with his left arm in Brisbane before the tournament, but he's also developed the ability to throw with his non-preferred right hand.

Speaking to cricket.com.au in March, Lynn said he'd be heeding strict instructions from his physiotherapists to refrain from diving in the field. 

Image Id: 36455C98D55C4EDF8FA54F3095CCF5B5 Image Caption: Lynn tests out his new strap in March // cricket.com.au

"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," Lynn said.

"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."

Qantas tours of England and Zimbabwe

ODI squad: Tim Paine (c), Aaron Finch (vc), Ashton Agar, Alex Carey, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Nathan Lyon, Glenn Maxwell, Shaun Marsh, Jhye Richardson, Kane Richardson, D'Arcy Short, Billy Stanlake, Marcus Stoinis, Andrew Tye

T20 squad: Aaron Finch (c), Alex Carey (vc), Ashton Agar, Travis Head, Nic Maddinson, Glenn Maxwell, Jhye Richardson, Kane Richardson, D'Arcy Short, Billy Stanlake, Marcus Stoinis, Mitchell Swepson, Andrew Tye, Jack Wildermuth

Qantas Tour of England

June 7: Warm-up v Sussex, Hove (D/N)

June 9: Warm-up v Middlesex, Lord's

June 13: First ODI, The Oval (D/N)

June 16: Second ODI, Cardiff

June 19: Third ODI, Trent Bridge (D/N)

June 21: Fourth ODI, Durham (D/N)

June 24: Fifth ODI, Old Trafford

June 27: Only T20, Edgbaston (D/N)

Qantas T20I tri-series Tour of Zimbabwe

Sunday, July 1: Zimbabwe vs Pakistan

Monday, July 2: Pakistan vs Australia

Tuesday, July 3: Australia vs Zimbabwe

Wednesday, July 4: Zimbabwe vs Pakistan

Thursday, July 5: Pakistan vs Australia

Friday, July 6: Australia vs Zimbabwe

Sunday, July 8: Final