WBBL: Suzie Bates ruled out of tournament, heads home for shoulder surgery

Sydney [Australia], November 16 (ANI): New Zealand's experienced batswoman Suzie Bates has been ruled out of the ongoing Women's Big Bash League (WBBL) and she will be undergoing surgery on her injured right shoulder.
Bates had left the field in the Adelaide Strikers loss to Melbourne Stars last week as she felt pain in her right shoulder while throwing and it was then that New Zealand cricket's medical manager Dayle Shackel consulted with the Strikers medical staff, ESPNCricinfo reported.
Since, it has been decided that surgery is the best course of action and as a result, Bates will head back to New Zealand to undergo the procedure.
"As a cricketer, you want to be fit and playing all the time, so to face a decent stint on the sidelines is tough news. For me, it's about taking this process one step at a time. The first step is successful surgery. Once that's done, I can then turn my mind to rehabilitation and the ultimate goal of getting back on the park as soon as possible," ESPNCricinfo quoted Bates as saying.
"There's also the carrot of playing at home in the Women's Cricket World Cup in 2022 to keep me motivated throughout the process," she added.
New Zealand's skipper Sophie Devine also suffered a back injury in the Perth Scorchers win over the Sydney Thunder on Sunday. She looked in extreme discomfort after injuring her back while bowling and was forced to leave the field. (ANI)