07 March,2013 07:46 AM IST | | PA Sport
Swann yesterday morning heard the words he has dreaded for so long - that he must have surgery again to clear away floating bone fragments and ease the pain in his bowling arm.
Swann, who will be 34 this month, first had a similar operation four years ago and returned to competitive action swiftly on that occasion.
Graeme Swann
"I was trying to go through my whole career without needing surgery again, but the specialist came back and said something needed to be done," he said, having been sent for scans after suffering discomfort in England's tour match defeat in Queenstown.
Swann is encouraged by the effectiveness of his last operation, and accepts he has no choice but to go under the knife again if he wants to play on. "I know if I don't have the surgery it's more or less curtains.
"I'm assured the surgery is relatively simple. I'm very confident I'll bounce back in a short space of time," he added.
