Injured Gold Coast Dolphins and Queensland quick Xavier Bartlett to step up comeback next month

INJURY-plagued Gold Coast Dolphins quick Xavier Bartlett is playing the waiting game as he steps up his comeback from another “frustrating” back ailment.

INJURY-plagued Gold Coast Dolphins quick Xavier Bartlett is playing the waiting game as he steps up his comeback from another “frustrating” back ailment.

Bartlett, 20, was diagnosed with a third bout of stress fractures in October after playing five games JLT Cup games for Queensland, putting paid to his hopes of a Sheffield Shield debut with the Bulls.

While the former Australian under-19 star returned as a batsman for the Dolphins’ lower-grade sides in January, he has so far been kept away from bowling duties.

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That will change next month when he fronts for pre-season training with Queensland, where medical staff have told him his body may not fully mature until it hits “the magic number” at 23 or 24.

“I’ll be getting back into bowling in about (four) weeks or so, just progressively adding the load so I’m bowling somewhere around 100 per cent in late July. That’s the plan and then just to be right to go for the first game next season,” Bartlett, who is halfway through a two-year deal with Queensland, said.

Gold Coast Dolphins fast bowler Xavier Bartlett. Picture: Cricket Australia

“I’ve been pretty much training full-time, bar bowling. I’m doing all the gym and running and batting and fielding.

“One of the coaches said that he doesn’t remember anyone not going through an extensive lay-off through injury so it’s good to have people around you that have been through it and you’re not the only bloke out there who has been injured. It could be a lot worse.”

Bartlett said age, not his action, was to blame for a reoccurrence of the stress fractures he suffered at the ages of 14 and 18.

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“I changed a few things with my action in the off-season last year so now it’s more just the age and (getting used to) all the strenuous parts of the movements you put yourself through. (This injury was) really frustrating because I’d been tinkering with a few things with my action and getting myself as strong and as fit as I’ve ever been leading into the season.

“All that hard work, to see it go in front of your eyes (is tough). You’re scratching your head thinking ‘where did you go wrong?’.

“I did all the things right but it’s obviously a part of the game and everyone gets it.”