Black Caps bowler Kyle Jamieson seeks external help to overcome back problems

Friday, 27 June 2025

Fit and raring to go. And this time Kyle Jamieson has reason to believe it will stay that way.

That’s because the Black Caps quick, beset by a series of back injuries since debuting in 2020, has revamped his strength and conditioning programme after realising the status quo wasn’t cutting it.

“Yeah, we probably need a 30 minute sit down to go through everything that we uncovered,” Jamieson told Stuff.

Jamieson was speaking at Hagley Oval in Christchurch on Wednesday, after New Zealand Cricket confirmed a bumper home summer schedule.

The 30-year-old is eager to be a big part of it, too, after missing a ton of cricket through injuries, most notably stress fractures in his back.

One required surgery, in 2023, before a second stress fracture, in the same area as the first, wiped out most of last year.

Jamieson had had enough. It was time to look at anything and everything in a bid to not just get back on the park, but to stay on it.

That meant branching out and working with an external party with experitise in the field.

“We had to out source it, really. I basically couldn't have been any further from being fit for purpose if I tried. That was alarming to hear, but at the same time I am glad I found out at 29 and not 39,” he said.

“Basically, I had to go back to scratch and build and just address everything, change just about everything and just build the foundation, which I just didn't have and that just left me exposed.”

Jamieson did not throw New Zealand Cricket under the bus, but his answers were telling as he discussed the frustration of previous years.

That included being pushed too fast too early during rebab in the past, something his body didn’t cope with.

“When the scheduling or the plan or the programme wasn't right, it just left me too exposed. And when you've got my frame it's a little bit more risky. I won't make those mistakes, and we won't make those mistakes again, and hopefully it will lead to some good stuff moving forward,” he said.

“I could have given myself all the time in the world and it wouldn't have made a difference because we never addressed the issues that were going on.

“Now, if I was to roll back into similar situations and things that were unexpected were to pop up, I'm in a much better place to handle them. And it will give me a fair chunk of longevity, I think.”

Jamieson made his international comeback as a replacement for the injured Lockie Ferguson at the Champions Trophy in March, and recently returned home from IPL duty with the Punjab Kings.

He’s just started a 12-week block of strength and conditioning, while also honing in on improved performance, as he eyes adding to his tally of 19 tests, 17 ODIs and 15 T20s.

“All three formats are as much on the table as they have ever been at my point of my career, my body is the best it’s ever been,” Jamieson said.

“So much of last year was just getting healthy and getting to a place where I was safe and could play cricket. There wasn't a huge amount of performance focus and what I tried to focus on last year was just to try and build a foundation.

“How can we find your ceiling? Where is that? I still think I'm a long way off it, and that's the exciting part with these next 12 weeks.”