Australian all-rounder Andrew Symonds has been warned of the risk he takes going into next month's cricket World Cup as he recovers from surgery for a bicep injury.
Symonds was this week included in Australia's 15-man squad for the World Cup in the Caribbean, although he said he would be unable to bat until well into the tournament.
Symonds, who was sorely missed as Australia crashed to a stunning 2-0 loss to England in last weekend's tri-series one-day finals, said he has earmarked the game against South Africa at Basseterre, St. Kitts, on March 24 for his comeback.
Australian team doctor Trefor James said although a second tear in the bicep would not put Symonds out of the game for an extended period unless he chose to repeat the surgery, it would reduce the strength in his shoulder by about 10 percent.
Symonds is a valuable member of Australia's one-day team, not only because of his explosive middle-order batting but because he is perhaps the best fielder in the world, with a lethal, flat throw from the outfield and inside the circle.
"There is a small risk of reinjuring it and, obviously, the longer it is left, the less the risk becomes. There will always be some risk," James told the Sydney Morning Herald yesterday.
"The effect of that, from a theoretical point of view, is that it may lead to approximately a 10 percent reduction in strength, and that may be something he notices more with throwing than anything else," he said.
"But it wouldn't mean that he wouldn't be able to continue playing cricket at the level he is playing. The thing is that his throwing is such a wonderful part of his skills that if he did lose that, it might make him more at the level of other cricketers rather than stop him from playing," James said.
Symonds, who had surgery to reattach the tendon, will continue a rehabilitation program in the Caribbean with team physiotherapist Alex Kountouris.
"The shoulder is starting to heal quickly. I was told if I was going to have problems with it after the surgery ... it would have been in the first 10 days. It hasn't done that and it feels really good which hopefully is a good sign of quick healing," Symonds said.
"The World Cup is a big deal to me. It's not the end of the world if I snap it again. It can heal and be OK. So I'm not too worried about it if it goes again, because I know it will be OK. If it goes, it goes," he said.
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