Tim Paine ‘very confident’ about being fit for Ashes in December
Australia Test captain Tim Paine expected to be fit before Ashes The series, which is to be played from December 8 along with the first Test in Brisbane. The Australian wicketkeeper-batsman will undergo an invasive neck surgery in the fourth week of September.
Paine is suffering from a bulging disc and had an operation to ease the pain in his neck and left arm.
In a conversation with Australian radio station Sen Today, Paine provided a graphic description of the process he went through, as well as the rehabilitation process he would go through.
“I ended up replacing the discs on the C-6 and C-7, neck up in the line,” he said.
“Basically, they cut a big hole in my throat, moved my voice box to the side and went that way.
“It’s less invasive than going through the back way, obviously with your spine it’s the safer way to do it.
“So they take them out (the damaged disc), put the new disc in and stitch it back.
“It feels really, really cool, except in the front where I’ve got the cut.
“I feel like my range is better already and I just have to make sure that the front, where the cut is, heals and I can ‘pick up’ the disc in the rest of my spine over the next month or so. And then move on,” Paine said.
The wicketkeeper-batsman, however, is “extremely confident” to be ready ahead of the Ashes.
“I will deal with the physio in the hospital for the next six weeks before being handed back to Cricket Tasmania and Cricket Australia to begin my cricket rehab,” said the Australian Test captain.
“It was like getting to that touch-and-go stage where I either don’t finish it and take the risk that I’ll go right through the Ashes, or just fix it,” Paine said. “Very happy with the decision after seeing the surgeon there.
He said, ‘December 8 is the first Test and I am sure that before that I will be right.
“I hope to get a Shield game for Tassie before that and hopefully winning the Ashes at the end of the third win will be something really special. I look forward to playing for Tasmania after my international career. Fix it up and out The right way to make the decision was long term.”
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