Injured Aaron out of action, BCCI, Daredevils pass the buck

When his raw pace — a 153 kph thunderbolt in particular — helped Varun Aaron make the headlines, experts had advised caution and careful handling of the rare talent. What has come to pass is exactly what they feared. Out of action for most part of the year, the 22-year-old from Jharkhand now finds himself back on the doctor's table, undergoing yet another rehabilitation programme, with no clarity yet on his back injury.

As the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and Aaron's IPL franchise Delhi Daredevils point fingers at each other, Aaron is unlikely to even attempt bowling for another three-four weeks. A return to cricket is tentatively scheduled only for September.

Aaron, who overcame two stress fractures in his teens, was ruled out of the Australian tour in December as a result of a back "stress reaction". He spent the following months rehabilitating at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) before heading Down Under to undergo scans. Part of Delhi's touring party during the early stages of the recent IPL series, he played his first game mid-way through the tournament. He finished with eight wickets in eight matches, his pace as impressive as ever.

Says T A Sekar, former India fast bowler and mentor with the Daredevils: "The back injury must have relapsed after the IPL. He was 100 per cent fit during the matches he played and he even bowled at 145 plus in them." Sekar adds that it was only after putting Aaron through their own rehab schedule that Delhi decided to give him a go.

"Ideally the board should have sent him to Australia for treatment in December itself, especially since they had a qualified physio in Evan Speechly with them. The two-month delay really cost him," says Sekar.

BCCI secretary Sanjay Jagdale lobs the ball in Delhi Daredevils' court. "Once the player is with his franchise, the board cannot interfere with his decision to play or not. It's the franchise's physio and their management who take the call and decide whether he is fit for action," he says.

... contd.

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