Worcestershire wicket-keeper Ben Cox has undergone a successful shoulder operation and hopes to return to a full programme of fitness work in the near future.
Cox underwent keyhole surgery at Worcester's South Bank Hospital in early October on tendon damage in his right shoulder.
The 23-year-old was able to continue playing last summer with the condition which only prevented him from throwing.
It was clearly little of a handicap to Cox who enjoyed an excellent season behind the stumps and with the bat.
Cox said: "We thought there was a labral tear in the joint of my right shoulder. I had the operation at the South Bank. I had keyhole surgery, there was no labral tear but the joint needed tidying up and the tendon at the front was split and torn.
"The operation was successful, it was all good (October 8). I am a quick healer and I'm back doing exercises and rehab.
"I'm hoping to be back running soon. I can't do as much weight stuff at the moment but it won't be long.
"It is a case of treatment every morning with Ben (first team physio Ben Davies) to optimise the soft tissues around the shoulder, and a lot of fitness sessions."
Cox added: "I was first aware of this 18 months ago. It never became a problem. It was just throwing. As a wicket-keeper you can get away with it.
"You don't throw over-arm at all so we just managed it and stayed off throwing and fielding practices and just did wicket-keeping.
"I could land on it, I could do everything, I just couldn't throw. The whole season I was just managing it. No-one would know. I hid it pretty well. Painkillers if it was sore."
Davies paid tribute to the hard work put in by Cox who is well ahead of the normal schedule after such an operation.
He said: "Basically Ben is about four weeks ahead of schedule. Ben is a physio's dream. He does everything you tell him and constantly wants more work. We are really pleased with him.
"Because of how hard he works on his fitness in general, he has already got a very high level of fitness for an athlete.
"Normally after this proceedure, we'd be looking at a 10-12 week return to match-playing fitness.
"But because of how hard Ben has worked in the first four weeks, he is doing things now you'd normally be doing after eight weeks."
