Yorkshire are hopeful they could have Tim Bresnan available early in the new season after he completed a second operation on the right elbow problem that has troubled him for the last two years.
The 27-year-old all-rounder was ruled out of England’s current tour of New Zealand with the injury and has spent the last week in Minnesota, where he had extra bone and scar tissue removed by highly respected surgeon Dr Shawn O’Driscoll. Bresnan underwent his first operation in 2011 but has struggled to recapture his best form since.
He is expected to have a six-to-eight-week rehabilitation programme and Yorkshire hope he will be available for the start of their season.
The Tykes return to the County Championship division one with a match against Sussex at Headingley on April 10.
“We always like welcoming back our international players to Yorkshire,” admitted Jason Gillespie, Yorkshire’s head coach.
“We wish Tim well with his rehabilitation and we will work closely with the ECB to ensure he has the best possible recovery. If all goes to plan, we could see him playing competitive cricket again at the start of the new season.”
England commitments restricted Bresnan to only four championship matches last summer, but Yorkshire will be hoping he could potentially play championship matches against Sussex, Durham, Derbyshire and Somerset before the opening Test against New Zealand at Lord’s on May 16.
While Yorkshire hope to have Bresnan available for the start of the summer, seamer Oliver Hannon-Dalby has left the club to join Warwickshire after impressing on trial at Edgbaston.
He failed to make a single championship appearance last summer and was allowed to go on trial after talks about his future with Martyn Moxon, Yorkshire’s director of cricket.
“As opportunities for Oliver to play first 11 cricket at Yorkshire this season are likely to be limited, it was agreed that we would allow him to explore potential options elsewhere,” said Moxon.
Hannon-Dalby added: “While I’m sad to be leaving my home county, I’m very excited about the new challenge ahead.”
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