Thinking outside of cricket is a scary thought, says Jason Behrendorff

Thinking outside of cricket is a scary thought, says Jason Behrendorff

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After having a brilliant run in the 2019 World Cup, Australian speedster Jason Behrendorff flared up a familiar stress fracture which has since put his future in international cricket in jeopardy. However, despite the setback, the Aussie pacer is eyeing a strong comeback into the limited-over squad.

A lanky left-arm fast bowler from Western Australia, Behrendorff has been a potent weapon for the Kangaroos with the new ball in white-ball cricket. His brisk pace and ability to swing the ball both ways earned him a place in the star-studded pace bowling lineup of the mighty Aussies and he has since established himself as a potent weapon with the brand new cherry in white-ball cricket. 

After being surprisingly picked up by Australia for the recently concluded World Cup, Behrendorff proved to be a great asset, scalping 9 wickets in matches with an impressive strike rate of 29.44. But ever since, he has been peppered with injuries and receieved a major setback after sustaining an injury to his back, an area that has troubled him throughout the entirety of his career. But now, he draws inspiration from his national team teammate James Pattinson who came back strongly, after undergoing a similar surgery, and played a crucial role to help Australia retain the urn. 

"I know in myself that I'll do whatever it takes to get back. I'm not exactly sure what that is at this stage. But once I do, I'll put all my eggs in that basket and make sure I'm doing everything I can to get right,” Behrendorff told cricket.com.au.

“Thinking outside of cricket is a scary thought. I've been fortunate to play in the state and international system for a few years now and … you never want to give that up. It'll be something that will be tough to do when the time comes to give it away and I certainly hope it's later rather than sooner.", he added.

Behrendorff is planning to undergo surgery by Kiwi surgeon Graham Inglis, who rescued Pattinson’s career and that of several other Kiwi players with a procedure which involved the vertebrae being bonded together by wires and screws. The 29-year-old has all his bases covered as he has spoken with many of Inglis’ patients who have praised the doctor’s expertise and benefits of being treated by him. However, the decision to go through such a life-changing surgery is always tough. 

But taking into account the magic it has done for the career of someone like a Pattinson, the Western Australian pacer has revealed that it would definitely be an option heading into the future, in order to extend his cricketing career.

"We've seen how Patto has come back and played in the recent Ashes series, so maybe it'll give me a chance to do that. I've spoken to Patto and I've also spoken to (Sydney Sixers left-armer) Ben Dwarshuis, who's had a similar surgery done, and also (former NZ quick) Shane Bond.”, said Behrendorff.

"They've all been very complimentary with what they've had done and the way it's helped them continue to play cricket.

"Unfortunately I've had the same (injury) over the last few years and if that (surgery) is going to be an opportunity to have more of a permanent fix, I'm definitely going to look into it,”​ the hopeful pacer bowed out. 

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