Jesse Ryder's five-month battle to regain full fitness took another twist last night.
He is to go under the knife next week to try to repair his long term abdominal injury.
Ryder sustained the injury, a tear of the rectus abdominis, during the Champions Trophy in South Africa in September.
It has not responded to his rehabilitation programme and the surgery is aimed at providing support to the lower part of his abdominal wall.
"It is a very complex injury and unfortunately has not responded as well as we would have hoped," physiotherapist Kate Stalker said yesterday.
Expert opinion had been sought from England and South Africa, as well as regular assessments from NZCricket medical staff.
"On Wednesday he was assessed again by a team of consultants in Auckland who recommended the abdominal procedure," Stalker added.
It puts Ryder's hopes of returning in time for the world Twenty20 championship in the Caribbean in May in jeopardy. First he'll need to complete his rehabilitation, then prove his fitness in domestic first-class cricket.
It is hoped he will be able to play for Wellington next month in the latter stages of the Plunket Shield.
"His return to the New Zealand team is entirely dependent on him being fit and injury free," selector Mark Greatbatch said.
Ryder, who has been in Christchurch with high performance boss John Wright, was New Zealand's leading batsman last season, including hitting a double century in the second test against India in Napier.
