Cameron Green, an Australian allrounder, has decided to have back surgery after scans revealed a “unique” condition that was intensifying his injury.
The surgery will rule him out of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test series against India, with a six-month recovery time. He will also miss February’s Test tour of Sri Lanka and the ICC Champions Trophy tournament, casting doubt on his availability for the next Indian Premier League (IPL) season.
There are differing opinions among Australian cricketers about his workload in the United Kingdom, given how carefully Mitchell Marsh was controlled in comparison to the India Test series. Marsh only bowled four overs throughout the tour, and they entered the game after Green had flown home.
However, there were no indications that Green was vulnerable in the lead-in, and his bowling loads this year have been far lower than in 2021, 2022, and 2023.
Cameron Green to undergo back surgery to get support to lower back
Green is set to follow in the footsteps of Jason Behrendorff, James Pattinson, Ben Dwarshuis, and New Zealand quicks Shane Bond and Matt Henry, who have had screws and a titanium cable fused into their lower backs to stabilize the stress fracture and prevent future occurrences.
Scans revealed the fracture in the UK, but more evaluations were necessary back in Australia because it is believed to be a different fracture than his previous stress injuries. Green had previously had four stress fractures in his lower back, which were repeated during his junior years up to 2019, a year before his Test debut.
“Cam has a unique defect in an adjacent area to the fracture that is believed to be contributing to the injury. After thorough consultation it was determined Cameron would benefit from the surgery to stabilize the defect and reduce the risk of future recurrence,” a CA statement read.
More recently, he has been more concerned about his chronic kidney ailment, which requires him to strictly regulate his food and can cause him to get cramps. He told cricket.com.au in August, before his last injury, that he would only consider a career as a specialist batter in the future.
ESPNcricinfo knows that New Zealand-based surgeons Grahame Inglis and Rowan Schouten have conducted this type of surgery on 26 patients over the last nearly two decades, with 24 of them successfully returning to full health.
New Zealand moves quickly Kyle Jamieson is one of the unsuccessful ones thus far, but his condition is thought to be unique.
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