“We expect that John will require a long rehabilitation period after surgery”

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Things have gone from bad to worse for Australia pace bowler John Hastings as he will have to undergo knee surgery, which will sideline him for a lengthy period of time.

Hastings injured his knee after landing awkwardly while bowling on the second day of Victoria’s Sheffield Shield draw against Tasmania last week. He is now expected to miss the entire competition, as well as the Big Bash League (BBL), in which he plays for the Melbourne Stars.

“John suffered a right knee injury during the last Sheffield Shield match against Tasmania which caused him to be removed from the game,” Cricket Australia’s sports medicine and sports science manager Alex Kountouris said. “Scans have revealed that John has a significant patella tendon injury and after being reviewed by a specialist it was decided that he will require surgery.

“We expect that John will require a long rehabilitation period after surgery and we will have a better understanding of his return to play timeframes in the coming weeks.”

Stars head coach Stephen Fleming was gutted upon hearing the news, but pointed out that Hastings can still be an asset to the team as he can help mentor the young players.

“John is such an important man to have around the Club. We’re all really disappointed that he can’t join us on the field this season,” Fleming said. “We hope that, following surgery, he’ll be around to help the younger players and play a mentor role during his recovery.”

Hastings has been one of Australia’s best bowlers in ODI cricket this year as he is the second-highest wicket-taker in the format with 29 wickets at an average of 24.13.