Spencer Johnson 's hopes of playing for Australia in the T20 World Cup early next year have been dealt a hammer blow after he was ruled out of the upcoming BBL season because of a back injury.

Johnson has not played since the IPL, where he suffered back pain that he initially thought was a recurrence of a disc issue he had dealt with previously. The 29-year-old left-arm quick then suffered more pain while training ahead of the July T20I tour of the West Indies and scans showed a stress fracture.

He underwent months of rehab which included pilates and swimming while waiting for the bone to heal. He had another scan in October and was hopeful he would be cleared to play in the BBL in the new year.

But Brisbane Heat confirmed on Wednesday that their title-winning quick would be unavaila

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