Kumble needs six months rehabilitation: Expert

Johannesburg: Indian spin bowler Anil Kumble is recovering well in a private South African clinic here after an operation on his right shoulder on Wednesday.Leading South African orthopaedic surgeon Dr Mark Fergusson advised the operation after regular physiotherapy failed to bring relief to Kumble's shoulder, which he injured during the Sharjah tournament last November."His progress looks very good and he is in fine shape himself," said Renita Govender, a spokesperson for the Rosebank Clinic. There was no indication yet of when Kumble would leave the clinic.But, Kumble is expected to be out of action for at least the next four months as his medical advisors place him under an intensive rehabilitation programme. This means he will miss a Test series against Australia in February and March, and One-day matches against Sri Lanka and Pakistan in Sharjah in April.Meanwhile, professor Tim Noakes, head of the medical committee at the United Cricket Board of South Africa (UCBSA), has called Kumble's decision to be treated here "a feather in the cap for South African surgery". The country's preoccupation in ensuring peak fitness for the cricketers in particular should be credited to the former United Cricket Board of South Africa (UCBSA) managing director, Dr Ali Bacher, according to Noakes. He said Dr Bacher created the UCBSA medical committee in 1985. "The key in sport is to have your best players on the field when you need them," Noakes told a local web site. "We have had experience of other national teams coming into South Africa and not giving enough importance to medical treatment," he added."The UCBSA have always promoted the medical care of cricketers because we've realised that you need experts to operate on athletes. We have a board of experts that looks after our cricketers," Noakes said, adding he would be very concerned if Kumble did not commit himself to at least six months of rehabilitation."The surgery is only 70 per cent of the process and the other 30 per cent is rehabilitation. Kumble should be advised to stay in South Africa for the six months if proper rehabilitation facilities are not available in India." Noakes said these facilities included a bio-kinetician for exercise rehabilitation."After surgery, Kumble will hardly be able to move his arm. That must be regained at the right pace so that the surgery is not damaged," Noakes said.India Abroad News Service