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Back injuries continue to haunt Australia as it stands on the verge of becoming an epidemic among fast bowlers, with Queensland teenager Callum Vidler becoming the latest to join the list, which has ruled them out of Australia A white-ball tour of India and the start of the domestic summer due to a partial stress fracture, according to ESPNcricinfo.
After the Australia ODI and Test, captain Pat Cummins developed a lumbar bone stress in his lower back, and Lance Morris is undergoing back surgery; there were speculations about fast-tracking Vidler. He was in contention to play in the white-ball part of Australia A's tour of India later this month. He was bolstering his preparations by playing three T20 matches in the T20 Max in Queensland for his club side, Valley. However, it all changed when scans late last week confirmed a partial fracture in his L3 vertebrae. Queensland general manager of high performance Joe Dawes revealed Vidler will undergo a rehab process, and there is no time frame for his return. "Callum experienced some back pain during training and promptly reported it. Unfortunately, the scans came back confirming a stress fracture, so he will spend some time recovering and then start a rehab plan. He's naturally very disappointed but accepts that injuries are part of the game. We'll work closely with him to ensure he has the best recovery to get him ready for a return to cricket," Dawes said as quoted from ESPNcricinfo. Australia A is bereft of Morris and his replacement, Brody Couch, from the red-ball phase of the series with India. Couch suffered a side strain but is expected to return at the beginning of the Shield season. South Australia's Henry Thornton was brought in to replace Couch for the red-ball matches in India. He will now remain with the side for the three white-ball matches. The 19-year-old Vidler impressed with his performance in the Shield final last March, during which he returned with figures of 4/64 and 1/60 while showcasing impressive pace on a sluggish Karen Rolton Oval pitch. (ANI)
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