Former Australian Test fast bowler Damien Fleming has quipped that a lower back stress fracture injury has become an 'epidemic' among the country's fast-bowling talents.
According to news.com.au, current quicks Mitchell Starc, James Pattinson and Pat Cummins have been robbed of a cricket season after being struck down by the injury.
Hoping that Cricket Australia (CA) is properly consulting with their medical staff over the issue, Fleming joked that the injury has become an 'epidemic', adding that despite Pattinson, Cummins and Starc being three of Australia's most impressive young talents with their size, quickness and skill, they are not managing to show them on the field.
However, Fleming sympathised with CA, saying that being a former quick who also used to break down frequently, he is aware that the situation is very complex, adding that he believes that approximately 16 per cent of all fast bowlers were injured between the ages of 12 and 21, which is a big number.
Calling for CA to try and get that statistic down to six or eight per cent, Fleming said that he believes that bowlers should be playing more to keep them being too vulnerable to injuries, adding that they should be pushed more toward the overload limit.
However, Fleming also said that he thinks that there has been a bit of a change in focus the last couple of years where they bowlers are being made to bowl more to prepare their bodies.
Starc, Pattinson and Cummins are all likely to miss out on the return Ashes series down under, leaving Ryan Harris and Peter Siddle to share the workload, the report added.
