Suzie Bates to undergo shoulder surgery; ruled out of WBBL06

Bates suffered a shoulder injury during the ODI series between New Zealand and Australia in Brisbane last month. She didn’t feature in the first seven matches for her WBBL side Adelaide Strikers, but returned to lead the side during the match against Melbourne Stars on November 10 in Sydney.

After opening the batting in the first innings, 33-year-old Bates felt discomfort while attempting a throw from the outfield when Stars were batting and was subsequently ruled out of the Strikers’ weekend fixtures. New Zealand Cricket (NZC) medical team in consultation with the specialists in Australia recommended that Bates should undergo surgery.

“We are now working on the logistics around getting her home, through managed isolation and then the medical procedure itself,” Dayle Shackel, NZC medical manager, said.

“Any time spent in managed isolation won’t have an adverse effect on her shoulder; the injury needs time to settle before being operated on.”



Bates, who has played 247 matches for New Zealand, expressed her disappointment in missing out on cricketing action but added that she will be determined to make a comeback post-surgery and rehabilitation.

“As a cricketer you want to be fit and playing all the time, so to face a decent stint on the side-lines is tough news,” she said.

“For me it’s about taking this process one step at a time. The first step is a successful surgery. Once that’s done, I can then turn my mind to rehabilitation and the ultimate goal of getting back on the park as soon as possible.”

Bates added that the prospect of playing a home World Cup in 2022 will keep her good stead during the road to recovery.

“There’s also the carrot of playing at home in the Women’s Cricket World Cup in 2022 to keep me motivated throughout the process,” she concluded.