Chris Lynn’s pain in the neck could see the Big Bash star contemplating stumps on his first class career

AFTER being ruled out of Australia’s three-match Twenty20 series against Sri Lanka, Chris Lynn’s neck injury may see him contemplate quitting first class cricket.

A fully fit Chris Lynn would be an asset to Australia’s Test and short-form teams, but injury has stalked his career.

CHRIS Lynn has a pain in the neck that is becoming literally that.

It is an injury that could force him to take a deep breath and decide where he wants to take his cricket career.

For the fourth season in a row, Lynn’s domestic season has been severely curtailed by injury, with Thursday’s confirmation that the bulging disc in his neck had ruled him out of Australia’s three-match Twenty20 series against Sri Lanka.

After having three domestic seasons in a row ruined by a shoulder injury, the neck complaint has halted the barnstorming momentum that made him the Big Bash player of the tournament.

Lynn’s latest injury sees him with a decision to make about his cricketing future.

He re-injured the neck in training last week and will see a specialist this week for further guidance.

When it all clears up and Lynn’s body is declared injury-free, he will have to work out a path forward which balances his drive to play representative cricket with the personal risks of further injuries.

Fabulous stroke-player Lynn, who is contracted to play the Indian and West Indian premier leagues, must decide whether it is worthwhile subjecting his body to the strain of first-class cricket or whether he focuses more on short-term cricket.

It’s a tougher decision than you think. Most Australians assume a fully fit Lynn will dive into the first-class scene and headlong towards a baggy green cap.

But it’s not that simple.

First-class cricket demands a more intensive level of training than T20 matches and that puts more pressure on his shoulder, neck and body in general.

Lynn is recognised as a supremely gifted striker of the ball.

One of the advantages of T20 cricket is that he is only required to spend 20 overs in the field at a time and does not have to back up the next day.

But in first-class matches, the capacity of his throwing is greatly reduced when he spends a second consecutive day in the field.

At age 26, Lynn is at the midpoint of his career.

He is certainly not old but neither is he a spring chicken.

Had he been a West Indian, the decision might already have been made and he could already be a short-term specialist.

It is not trendy in Australia for a player to make this move but the moment is coming when more players will.

Originally published as Chris Lynn’s pain in the neck could see the Big Bash star contemplating stumps on his first class career