Graham Onions out for Ashes
England paceman Graham Onions will miss England’s Ashes defence in Australia in 2010/11 due to ongoing back problems.
The ECB have announced that Onions will undergo surgery next week in a bid to overcome the back injury, and as a result the bowler is expected to miss about nine months of cricket as he completes his recovery.
With the Ashes running from November to January, that timeframe means that Onions is one player who won’t be joining the squad as England seeks to retain their ownership of the coveted urn. “Obviously I'm shattered to have been ruled out of the Ashes with the prospect of a lengthy recovery period,” Onions said in a statement on the ECB website.
"After experiencing the euphoria of being part of an Ashes winning England team last year I was determined to get myself fit for selection ahead of this winter's tour of Australia.”
Onions played his most recent Test for England against South Africa in Cape Town this January, and after being included in England’s Test squad to face Bangladesh on the subcontinent this March, the Durham seamer was forced to fly home without bowling a ball in anger as he struggled with back troubles.
"Graham has been suffering from ongoing discomfort due to stress fractures on both sides of his back,” ECB Chief Medical Officer, Dr Nick Peirce said.
"We have thoroughly exhausted all avenues of conservative treatment and rehabilitation with surgery very much seen as a last resort.
"Unfortunately Graham has not responded to these forms of treatment and as a result we have no option left but to undertake a course of treatment involving surgery.”