Neil Wagner, the Black Caps veteran, has found an unlikely game-changer to aid his recovery from injuries that cut short his season in March. The left-arm pace bowler turned to pilates as part of his rehabilitation to repair a torn hamstring and a herniated disc in his back during the first test against Sri Lanka in Christchurch. Wagner described reformer pilates as a real leveller, saying he has discovered that his muscles are not as strong as he believed. He added that his recovery has been ‘a tough slog’ and he still has some way to go before he is back to his best. Wagner has been working on making his hips and lower back stronger by incorporating pilates, gym work and physiotherapy into his routine. The 37-year-old is happy to be back bowling pain-free and is pleased with the progress he’s made so far.
Wagner, a test specialist, had a rollercoaster of a summer, being dropped after the first test in Pakistan and then delivering the second-most expensive spell in test history when thumped around Bay Oval by England in February. However, he bounced back with a match-clinching performance in England’s second innings in the second test at the Basin Reserve, clinching a one-run victory in one of New Zealand’s most memorable triumphs in their 93-year history. Wagner, who missed joining Yorkshire during the English county season due to the injuries, said that the break has given him time to get better and stronger again, and he is looking forward to the start of the first-class season in New Zealand.
Despite media reports linking him with retirement, Wagner has no plans to quit anytime soon. He said that he still feels he can contribute to the test team and that the next two-year cycle is something he wants to be part of. The veteran added that watching the World Test Championship final was a motivator for him and his team to push their case to be there or thereabouts and to be in with a chance of reaching the final.
