Shoulder injury may delay KJP’s return
Kusal Perera may have to stay out of the pitch longer than expected - File pic
After a long delay, Kusal Janith Perera may finally travel to Britan for surgery to fix a troubled shoulder. But his chances at getting ready for the T20 World Cup later this year hang in the balance. Perera injured his shoulder during a practice session ahead of the Indian limited over series in July last year.
While he returned to play the subsequent series against South Africa and the T20 World Cup in UAE, it was obvious the left-handed wicketkeeper/batter had pain and discomfort. Sources close to the player said Perera took painkillers everyday during the World Cup. He also played the Lanka Premier League (LPL) last year.
“We are trying to send him to the UK to do the operation and to get him ready for the World Cup,” said Ashley de Silva, CEO of Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC). “He has been trying to resolve it through injections, but it has now come to the point of him having to do the operation.”
Asked when Perera would travel, de Silva said ‘soon’. The Board was sorting out insurance to meet the cost of the operation (around 10,000 sterling pounds) which is to be done by Andrew Wallace, a consultant orthopedic surgeon specialising in shoulder injuries. There has been a delay. Head of SLC’s Medical Panel Prof. Arjuna de Silva said the recommendation was made around two months ago.
“He has to go for the operation but we have no idea when it will be done or why it has got delayed,” Prof. de Silva said.
Recently former cricketer Sanath Jayasuriya questioned why authorities continued to postpone the surgery. Perera hasn’t played international cricket since the World Cup and is likely to miss the year’s LPL as well as the Asia Cup, the last two international assignments for the Lankans before the World Cup in October and November.
The player is a vital cog in Sri Lanka’s white-ball set-up. Even if he gets the operation done now, his chances of playing the World Cup remains remote as selectors have demanded 100 percent fitness to be considered for selection. The 31-year-old has played 60 T20 internationals for Sri Lanka and averages 26.53.