Cricket: Bracewell books date with surgeon

Doug Bracewell suspects his season may be over if the prognosis is to have surgery on his left knee. PHOTO/FILE

Black Caps allrounder Doug Bracewell is psychologically preparing to go under a surgeon's knife to repair damage to his left knee.

Bracewell has scheduled an appointment to consult a specialist on Wednesday, January 11, to confirm the need for an operation.

The 26-year-old tore his anterior cruciate ligament while fielding on a dodgy rugby surface at Yarrow Stadium, New Plymouth, on December 10 in a game against the Northern Districts Knights during the McDonald's Super Smash T20 campaign.

"At this stage I'm just trying to do some rehab to strengthen the muscles around my knee," he says, after New Zealand Cricket had confirmed ruling out the rugby venue over player safety concerns until further notice from the region's councils that it was suitable for cricket matches.

Bracewell, who toured India in October, wasn't required for the Chappell-Hadlee one-day series across the Tasman or the test series against Pakistan in New Zealand thereafter.

The 26 test-match international says having surgery will be an option.

"I'm pretty much prepared for not much cricket at all this summer," he says, frustrated but resigned to the fact it isn't something he can rush.

"At this stage I guess I have to listen to the physios and keep up with the rehab programmes and then go from there."

Bracewell says Yarrow Stadium that day had soft underfooting.

"It was quite sandy and patchy around the boundary line so obviously the whole day of rain didn't help it because it got a little slippery on top," he says of the most serious injury in his career.

The You Taradale CC premier men's club cricketer is delighted that fellow Stags Tom Bruce and Ben Wheeler are in the Black Caps T20 mix.

Bracewell says unwanted Black Caps veteran and CD teammate Ross Taylor will bounce back with his experience.

"He's shown his class in the last two games with two 80s in a row and helping out in the games to make it to the grand final so the boys will be stoked to have him back," he says of Taylor who CD coach Heinrich Malan rested in round 10 against the Auckland Aces on Tuesday due to stiffness.

In releasing the T20 international squad, New Zealand selector Gavin Larsen announced Taylor had been dropped due to performance and not because he was returning from surgery for a condition known as surfer's eye.

Taylor and Sri Lanka import Mahela Jayawardene, who the Stags have welcomed with open arms and have relished their on-field and off-field guidance, had wished Bruce and Wheeler the best on their impending debuts at McLean Park, Napier, on Tuesday against Bangladesh in the ANZ T20 International Series.