Cricket: Lockie Ferguson, Black Caps bowler, in doubt for season with back injury

Black Caps bowler Lockie Ferguson faces months on the bench after sustaining a back injury.

The Black Caps confirmed that Ferguson was diagnosed with a partial stress fracture in his lumbar spine and will need four to six weeks of rest before returning to training.

The injury to the left side of the back appeared after the recent T20 series against the West Indies and subsequent scans confirmed the partial fracture.

The 29-year-old will not need surgery, but will need a period of rest and rehabilitation before considering any return to play later this summer.

Black Caps coach Gary Stead said the injury could have been worse and backed Ferguson to return.

“What that essentially means is that there is a crack there, but in terms of seriousness and how it looks, it could be a lot worse than that,” Stead said. “It’s not a complete crack, so it’s only partial, which is a good sign.

“In terms of rehabilitation and in the future, it is too early to know how long we will wait to play again, but we are still hopeful that there is a possibility that he will continue playing at the end of our season. If things go well. So there is that possibility, but I just want to reiterate that it is too early. “

Ferguson, who is New Zealand’s fastest pitcher and consistently hits the 150km / h mark, was influential in the Black Caps’ opening T20 against the West Indies at Eden Park last month, going 5-21 in the victory. It was only the second five-course run by a New Zealand bowler in a T20 international, after Tim Southee.

Stead said it was a “great loss” for the Black Caps entering a very busy summer period.

“The impact he’s had on every game he’s played in New Zealand – his pace, his speed, his precision – is something that really adds to our bowling group.

“We are very sad that this happened to him and we really feel sorry for him at this time because it is never easy to go through something like this … a great loss for us.”

Ferguson isn’t the first Black Caps bowler to struggle with injuries, with other sprinters like Adam Milne struggling to stay healthy throughout their careers.

Stead is hopeful that is not the case for Ferguson.

“The good thing in this case is that it has been reviewed by two surgeons and they both said there is absolutely no need for surgery, that’s a really good thing.

“Getting that is a blessing for Lockie as well and hopefully it will mean that it’s a quicker return to the game than maybe some of those other guys have been through.

“In terms of risk factors, every time you play over 150 bowls, and Lockie has been doing it a lot recently, I think you increase the chances. It’s a natural reaction of the body that says ‘hey, something’s not right here.’ And that could happen through a large number of factors.

“It’s no one’s fault, these things happen. I always liken the decision to being a wide wing in rugby. Sometimes you get caught by the hand or whatever. Rhythm bowling can be like this. We don’t want it to. It happens to nobody, obviously. It’s part of being a really fast bowler. “

Ferguson has played one Test, 11 T20 internationals and 37 ODIs, and was a key figure in the Black Caps’ run to the final of the Cricket World Cup last year.

You are likely to miss the entire Auckland Aces Super Smash campaign, which runs from late December to the final on February 14.

The Black Caps meet Pakistan in three T20s and two Tests before meeting Australia in five T20s in late February, followed by three T20s and three ODIs against Bangladesh.