Jason Behrendorff's chance to be an Ashes bolter and to cash in on an Indian Premier League pay day have been thwarted by a back injury.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
The in-form West Australian paceman's dream summer is over after he was diagnosed on Tuesday with a stress fracture in the right side of his lower back.
The Canberra product has been ruled out of the rest of the Sheffield Shield season and is expected to return to bowling during the 2015-16 pre-season.
Behrendorff underwent CT scans after last Wednesday night's Big Bash League final at Manuka Oval, where he helped the Perth Scorchers win back-to-back titles.
The 24-year-old left-armer was the premier bowler of the competition, finishing as the second-highest wicket-taker with 15 wickets at an average of 16.73 and an economy rate of 6.28.
He would have been valuable in the IPL and expected to command a six-figure sum if he nominated for the player auction.
Behrendorff's performances in all three forms of the game would have also had him in the reckoning for a spot in Australia's squad for the Ashes in England.
He was last week named the domestic cricketer of the year, taking 40 wickets at 22.75 in the first-class arena last season and 11 wickets in the national one-day competition.
Behrendorff showed no signs of his back injury in the BBL final, producing an economical four-over spell of 1-19 to help restrict the Sydney Sixers to 4-147 from their 20 overs.
Behrendorff was touted as a candidate for Australia's World Cup squad if any of the fast bowlers were injured in the lead-up or during the tournament.
He impressed while playing for Australia A during the winter with the national high performance squad and carried that form into the domestic season.
Behrendorff also took four wickets for the Prime Minister's XI in last month's tour match with England.
