Sehwag doubtful for ICC Champions Trophy

Mumbai: The injury to Virender Sehwag has taken a new turn with reports suggesting that the opener may be forced out of action for three to four months, leaving his participation in the ICC Champions Trophy in doubt.

The ICC Champions Trophy is to be played in South Africa from Sept. 24 to Oct. 5 and post-operation reports have suggested that the dashing opener from Delhi cannot return to competitive cricket until the first week of September, according to a report published in The Hindu.

Sehwag was operated on June 11 after arthroscopic investigations by Dr. Angus Wallace, Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at The Park Hospital, Nottingham identified a Grade II Superior Labral Tear from Anterior to Posterior (SLAP) lesion in his right shoulder.

Sehwag was earlier ruled out of the ICC World Twenty20 despite being picked in the squad and travelled to England. The Hindu report suggested Sehwag experienced pain after the arthroscopic repair and required substantial analgesia and shoulder Cryo Cuff to ease pain.

His rehabilitation programme began soon with pendulum exercises and elbow and hand exercises. He has also been advised to do isometric exercises in static position (without moving the shoulder) and to stay in broad arm sling and continue all exercises for four weeks.

Should the initial rehabilitation schedule produce the desired results, Sehwag will be asked to free himself from the sling and begin shoulder strengthening and mobility exercises. He would be monitored by the Indian team physio Nitin Patel right through the rehabilitation programme and at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bangalore.

He is likely to undergo isokinetic shoulder strength evaluation in order to find out if he can throw the ball after 10 weeks of the operation and also return to nets by the first week of September, the report added.

Dr. Wallace expects the SLAP lesion to heal in six weeks in order to begin shoulder strengthening and mobile exercises. The entire rehabilitation process is aimed at easing pain and for a comfortable and pain-free functioning of the right shoulder. Sehwag may return to action in September, but a tardy recovery may not allow him to play until October.