Jake Ball is facing a spell out of action owing to the back injury that forced him to leave the field during the opening fixture of the LV= Insurance County Championship season.
The Nottinghamshire fast bowler has been absent from the matchday squads for the subsequent contests against Warwickshire and Worcestershire, and Peter Moores admits he is expecting the 30-year-old to miss further fixtures before he is ready to return.
“Our medical staff will be giving everything to help get Jake back on the field as quickly as possible, and we’re all looking forward to when that comes around,” said the Nottinghamshire Head Coach.
“We’ll continue to assess his fitness and we’ll rule nothing in or out at this stage, but we’re expecting him to be missing for a number of games.”
Ball, a 24-time England international, felt soreness in his back whilst touring with the national side during the winter.
He appeared to have recovered, only for the issue to flare up again shortly after Ball had reduced Durham to 5 for 2 early in the first innings of the season’s red-ball opener at Trent Bridge.
“It’s the timing as much as anything that makes it a difficult one for Jake to take,” added Moores.
“He’d had a season in 2020 that saw him back to his best. He was instrumental in us winning the Vitality Blast and put in some high-quality performances in red-ball cricket as well.
“He’d got back into the England setup on the back of that, signed a new contract, experienced something new in the Big Bash and then got us off to a great start with the new ball against Durham.
“It felt like an exciting time and like good things were just around the corner, so of course we’re gutted for him.
“But Jake is a terrific professional. He’ll go away and do all the work he needs to come back fit and firing later in the season. In the meantime, he’ll be right behind the rest of the lads and willing them to do well.”
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Tickets to witness Notts Outlaws’ defence of their Vitality Blast title in 2021 are now on general sale.
