Jaques stands tall again
Peter English
25-Feb-2013
AFP
Phil Jaques, who opened for his country last year, continues to score heavily in New South Wales after his recovery from a back injury. The Australian’s Malcolm Conn writes about Jaques’ career-saving operation.
The opening batsman is several centimetres taller thanks to a prosthetic disc in the base of his spine. Jaques laughs about his sudden elongation, but has not bothered to measure himself. He's just delighted to stand up straight again and be able to move freely enough to play a proper cover drive without stabbing pain.
Off the field he can sit comfortably at dinner without the constant need to get up and walk around and his social life has also improved. Jaques can linger over a cup of coffee without fear that his back will seize up.
Peter English is former Australasia editor of ESPNcricinfo