Colin de Grandhomme To Undergo Surgery On His Right Ankle

All-rounder Colin de Granhomme will be undergoing surgery on his troublesome right-ankle, New Zealand Cricket (NZC) confirmed on Thursday.

Colin de Grandhomme has been grappled with his ongoing right ankle issues since the start of the New Zealand summer. The seam-bowling all-rounder did not play a single International fixtures during the summer, although he featured in domestic white-ball tournaments albeit as a specialist batsman.

The press-release issued by NZC has stated that Colin de Grandhomme will need at least six weeks of rest before he gets back to training and a further two more weeks before he can start bowling.

”It’s been a challenging time for Colin and we hope this procedure will allow him to return with full function in his ankle. It’s anticipated he will need six weeks of rest before he can return to running and another two weeks before he can resume bowling,” NZC medical manager Dayle Shackel said in an official release.

Meanwhile, New Zealand head coach Gary Stead has hailed Colin de Grandhomme as a vital part of their set-up across all three formats given the varied skill-set that he brings to the table.

Stead said that while the Kiwis missed his services in the home summer, he is hopeful that the all-rounder will make a comeback during the upcoming English summer where New Zealand will lock horns against England in a two-match Test series before squaring-off against India in the all-important ICC World Test Championship final.

“We’ve all been gutted for Colin having to miss this international summer through injury. His contributions to the BLACKCAPS in the past few years have been outstanding across all three formats and he’s been a huge part of our team,” said Gary Stead.

“His skills with the ball, power with the bat and catching in the field make him one of the premier all-rounders in the world and so we’re naturally eager to see him get the injury right and become available for us again. It’s too early to say what this might mean for our Test tour to England in late May and June, but we’re hopeful following surgery and rehabilitation he will be a chance to make the squad,” he added.

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