Tymal Mills reveals first-class career could be over
Thursday 21 May 2015 17:37, UK
Sussex fast bowler Tymal Mills has revealed he may have to give up on his dream of playing Test cricket for England because of a serious back issue.
Mills, who is regarded as one of the fastest bowlers in the domestic game, may not be able to play any more first-class cricket after being diagnosed with a narrow spinal cord.
The 22-year-old joined Sussex from Essex over the winter but he broke down in the early part of the season and has been advised to concentrate on the limited-overs formats of the game.
Mills has been warned continuing to bowl long spells could lead to serious mobility problems in the future.
Speaking to ESPNcricinfo, Mills said: "I have accepted that I might not have a future in first-class cricket. It is absolutely gutting and I had a very difficult 48 hours when I first heard the news.
"I haven't completely given up on the dream of playing Test cricket but, realistically, it looks as if my future may be in the shorter formats. I still want to play 50-over and T20 cricket."
Mills will definitely not play for Sussex in four-day cricket for at least the next two months, but he did feature against Gloucestershire in the NatWest T20 Blast on Sunday, when he claimed three wickets, and could face Somerset on Friday.
And he admits it could be the shortest format of the game that provides him with a career down the line, and possibly a way into the international game.
"I just hope nobody portrays me as a mercenary," Mills added. "This isn't a case of me not wanting to bowl; it's a case of me having a medical condition would could affect my future. It's all been pretty hard to take."
