Onions is out of the Ashes series
0 Comments | Northern Echo, Sep 3, 2010 | by Tim Wellock
GRAHAM Onions’ hopes of an Ashes tour this winter were dashed yesterday by the announcement that he is to have a back operation next week and will be out for nine months.
The Durham and England paceman has already had extensive treatment and rehabilitation but continued to suffer discomfort when he began to bowl recently following three months’ rest.
The ECB’s chief medical officer, Dr Nick Peirce, said:
“Graham has been suffering from ongoing discomfort due to stress fractures on both sides of his back. We have thoroughly exhausted all avenues of conservative treatment and rehabilitation, with surgery very much seen as a last resort.
“His rehabilitation will be overseen and carried out by the ECB medical team in conjunction with the medical staff at Durham.”
With his earliest possible return to action for Durham being next June, Onions said:
“I’m shattered to have been ruled out of the Ashes.
“After experiencing the euphoria of being part of an Ashes winning England team last year I was determined to get myself fit for selection.
“We have tried every possible form of treatment, but surgery is the only option left.
While I’m devastated to be facing such a long lay-off I’m determined to overcome this setback and work my way back into England calculations.
“It’s been a difficult period for me but I realise I have to have this operation if I want to play cricket again.”
Onions returned early from England’s tour of Bangladesh last winter and the initial prognosis was that he should be ready to play in May.
When his back problem refused to settle down it was decided that he should rest it and in the meantime he had a knee operation.
Having recovered fully from that, he began running a month ago, but the big test was always going to be how he reacted to bowling again.
Onions has been sadly missed by Durham. In his first five championship matches last season he took 40 wickets, but their leading wicket-takers this season, Mitch Claydon and Ian Blackwell, are only on 32.