Australia pacer James Pattinson to miss rest of season as shin injury returns

Australian fast bowler James Pattinson's international future is in doubt after he suffered a recurrence of shin soreness that kept him out for much of January, with the bowler ordered to rest for the remainder of the season. The 25-year-old, who missed the Big Bash Twenty20 league in January due to injury, returned to action on the field in the second test against New Zealand at Christchurch, where he impressed with his quick and hostile bowling, taking six wickets, as Australia cruised to a seven-wicket victory over the Kiwis in the Trans-Tasman Trophy.

"James had a recurrence of his left shin soreness following the second test in Christchurch and had follow-up scans in Melbourne yesterday," said Cricket Australia physiotherapist David Beakley, as quoted in Cricketaustralia.com.

"These scans have shown some inflammation around the shin consistent with bone stress," he added.

"James will now require some time off to allow this injury to resolve and will not be available for the remainder of the domestic season."

Pattinson, who made his debut in 2011, has struggled with injuries throughout his career, with his back playing up not once, but twice, most notably the stress fractures in his back following the 2013 Ashes, which kept him out of action for almost 18 months.

He suffered another stress fracture against South Africa early in 2014 that proved to be his final test until he returned to play the West Indies last December. Pattinson was not picked in Australia's squad for their T20 tour of South Africa nor the ICC T20 World Cup 2016, which begins in India on 8 March.