Chris Lynn has played 12 IPL games so far. (Source: PTI)
Australia explosive batsman Chris Lynn has seen his fair share of shoulder injuries in recent years. The right-hand batsman had to undergo a surgery last year on his left-arm shoulder. On Wednesday, the 27-year old dislocated his right-arm shoulder after he dived to stop the ball from going to a boundary. The batsman, who was slated to play for Lahore Qalandars in the 2018 season of Pakistan Super League (PSL) which kicked off from Thursday, had to pull out of the tournament due to the injury.
Lynn, who will play for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the upcoming season of Indian Premier League, was informed on Friday that he will not require a surgery on his right shoulder but has to undergo “extensive rehabilitation” before being declared fit to play. Speaking about the star batsman, KKR assistance coach and former Australian batsman Simon Katich that he needs to weight in how much cricket his body can take.
Speaking in an interview on Melbourne radio station with SEN’s Gerard Whateley, Katich said, “He has to make a decision about how much cricket his body can withstand at this level. 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,” he said.
The 42-year-old added that Lynn wants to give his everything on the field. “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,” he said.
Katich further added that Lynn’s decision to return to play for Brisbane Heat in the Big Bash League in December caused him the calf strain before the T20I series. “He just wants to be out there and not just sit there watching,” Katich added. “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,” he added.
The KKR staff member added that he hopes Lynn could return to the side in the IPL, even if he might miss a few beginning games. “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 said.
Katich added that his powerful strike rate makes Lynn an indispensable commodity in the team squad. “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,” he said.
Kolkata Knight Riders bought Lynn for Rs 9.5 crore at the auction in January. The IPL 2018 is set to kickoff from April 7, 2018.
For all the latest Sports News, download Indian Express App
