Australia's Pattinson to miss IPL after surgery

Australian pace bowler James Pattinson will have abdominal surgery on Friday, sidelining him from playing in the Indian Premier League but not the Ashes, Cricket Australia said on Thursday. CA said Pattinson would have surgery for a "non-cricket related medical condition", putting him out of action for a month. Pattinson, 22, who was due to play for the Kolkata Knight Riders in the April-May IPL, will be racing the clock to return in time for Australia's ICC Champions Trophy campaign in England, which begins with a one-day match against the hosts on June 8. The tourists' final Ashes preparations then start with a four-day game against Somerset on June 26-29, with the first Test at Trent Bridge, starting on July 10. "His preparation for the Ashes is not expected to be affected but his availability for the ICC Champions Trophy will be determined at a later stage," CA's chief medical officer Justin Paoloni said in a statement. Paoloni said the issue had been troubling Pattinson during the latter part of the recent Test tour of India. "James has undergone tests and consulted specialists since returning from India, and it was felt that surgery is absolutely necessary at this time. "The recovery times will be determined once the surgery is completed but James is expected to return to training in approximately four weeks." From: AFP