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Katich warns it's decision time for Lynn

Former Australian batsman says star six-hitter may need to review his global playing schedule following latest injury setback

Crunch time has arrived for Chris Lynn to make a decision on how much T20 franchise cricket around the world his body can withstand, according to Simon Katich who was integral in signing the Brisbane hitter for huge money in last month’s Indian Premier League auction.

Lynn learned yesterday that the right shoulder that he dislocated in a seemingly innocuous fielding mishap last Wednesday – the latest in a series of shoulder injuries over recent years – won’t require surgery to repair.

And Cricket Australia’s Sports Science Sports Medicine Manager Alex Kountouris confirmed that while the 27-year-old will require “extensive rehabilitation” he was expected to be fit to take part in the IPL and Australia’s subsequent limited-overs tour to the UK should he gain selection.

But a definitive date on when Lynn can return to action won’t be known for several weeks when his recovery program is assessed.

Image Id: 30433D0E0E3F4DB3B2E3D30030525AC0 Image Caption: Lynn in the hands of medical staff // cricket.com.au

“Chris has undergone scans which confirmed some of the expected signs of a shoulder dislocation including bleeding in the joint along with some cartilage and ligament damage,” Kountouris said.

“After consultation with a specialist, at this stage we have confirmed that Chris does not need to undergo stabilisation surgery on his shoulder.

“He will now undergo extensive rehabilitation to give us a better idea of how his shoulder will cope with return to normal function, with a view to being available to play in the IPL and the short-form series in the UK in June.

“We will have a better understanding of how possible this will be in a few weeks, once we know how he is responding to the rehabilitation.”

Image Id: A3C7888778DC40829193B334F03B0362 Image Caption: Lynn leaves the field with physio Alex Kountouris // cricket.com.au

The latest diagnosis came after Lynn was ruled out ruled out of the Pakistan Super League T20 competition, where he was to play for Lahore Qalanders, which started this week.

And the timing of his availability for the IPL that gets underway on April 8 remains unclear with Katich – an assistant coach at the Kolkata Knight Riders franchise that committed $1.86 million to secure Lynn’s services at last month’s player auction – noting they will welcome Lynn’s involvement “even if it is a few weeks late”.

However, Katich - who acknowledges that Lynn’s lengthy injury history was discussed by KKR officials prior to bidding for him - believes the Queenslander might need to more carefully manage his global playing schedule in light of his latest setback.

Since the start of the KFC Big Bash League in December 2016, Lynn has played just 24 per cent of matches for franchises with which he’s signed in Australia, India, the Caribbean, Bangladesh and Pakistan due to his run of shoulder and soft-tissue injuries.

In his latest comeback prior to Wednesday night’s injury during the final T20 match of Australia’s Qantas Tour of New Zealand in Auckland, Lynn had been advised not to dive for the ball when fielding given that was how he had incurred previous shoulder damage.

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“He has to make a decision about how much cricket his body can withstand at this level,” Katich told Melbourne radio station SEN’s Gerard Whateley this week.

“It’s not so much his batting, it’s his fielding.

“We’ve had numerous discussions about how he can try and protect himself in the field, obviously diving is a big concern given his history but that’s the nature of the game.

“When instincts take over and you feel like you’re letting your teammates down, he’s the sort of guy that doesn’t want to see one of his bowlers miss out and cost them a few runs.

“But ultimately it’s costing him in the long run.

“He’s going to have to have a think about that and we’ll be there to support him.”

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In addition to his commitments with the Brisbane Heat in the KFC BBL and the T20 competitions in Pakistan (largely staged in Dubai) and India, Lynn has been a regular fixture in the Caribbean Premier League (held annually in June-July) and was to have played in the Bangladesh Premier League held last November-December.

With Sri Lanka last week unveiling its plans to host its inaugural Lankan Premier League T20 competition in August and September this year, and South Africa’s stalled T20 Global League still on the drawing board the playing possibilities for T20 specialists such as Lynn are increasing.

Katich claims it was Lynn’s haste to get back on the field for the Brisbane Heat during their BBL|07 campaign that led to him suffering a calf strain prior to his return to Australia’s T20 outfit, and also highlighted the right-hander’s preparedness to play through the pain of injury.

Which, in turn, places further stress upon his body.

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“He just wants to be out there and not just sit there watching,” Katich said.

“He did the right things to try and get out onto the park, but unfortunately he pushed himself physically and did his calf, which set him back a bit.

“But there's still six weeks before the IPL starts so hopefully … he can do the rehab and get back on the park, even if it is a couple of weeks late.

“We knew before the auction, we did a lot of planning on the players available and we knew he was going to be in hot demand.

“We know he's got an injury history, but we saw last year how good he can make his teammates look in a competition like the IPL.


“He averaged just under 50 with the bat and struck at 185 (runs scored per 100 balls faced) and not many guys can do that.

“That's why he's such a valuable commodity in T20 because he's such a powerful striker.

“He's also great around the team environment and we were considering him to possibly be captain as well, given his influence around the group.

“Even last year when he was injured he spent a lot of time working with the young Indian players.

“He's tough and I'm sure he'll do everything he can to get back on the park.”