New star all-rounder Chris Cairns will have surgery on his injured right knee next week and will miss all cricket, including playing for English county Nottinghamshire, over the New Zealand winter.
He will miss the Shahjah Cup next month and New Zealand's tours of Pakistan and the West Indies.
He said he
wouldn't be able to take up his contract with Nottinghamshire.
Cairns, who missed 12 months of cricket from November 2000 after surgery on the same knee, suffered a new injury while fielding a ball off his own bowling in the first test against England at Jade Stadium two weeks ago.
MRI scans revealed patella tendon tear.
"I was given a choice of surgery or rest and rehabilitation," he said.
"On balance I feel it is better to have the operation and recover over the winter with a definite goal of returning to play for New Zealand against India in December and looking forward to the World Cup in February 2003."
"I feel the risk associated with the alternative route of resting the knee and then resuming cricket in two or three months' time is too great.
"I felt the best option was to deal with the surgery immediately."
He said he has kept both New Zealand Cricket and Notts posted about the injury and his subsequent decision to undergo surgery.
- NZPA
