LANCASHIRE coach Glen Chapple has warned against altering Matthew Parkinson’s bowling action to reduce the risk of further back problems.

The leg-spinner suffered a stress fracture before Christmas, ruling him out of an England Lions tour to the UAE and the ongoing Big Bash League in Australia.

Parkinson claimed 59 wickets across all formats in 2018 and was particularly impressive in one-day and Twenty20 cricket.

It was form which prompted the Melbourne Stars to sign him up for an inaugural spell of foreign domestic cricket, with the potential for other opportunities such as the IPL to follow.

And while the 22-year-old star in the making still has time on his side, he will be keen to try to avoid an injury which has laid him low twice in the last two years – he also missed the start of the 2017 summer.

Parkinson, who grew up playing as a junior for Bolton League club Heaton and now plays for Egerton in the Greater Manchester League, is likely to be fit for the new summer, starting in April, but coach Chapple is taking the cautious approach, particularly in the long-term.

He said: “Parky’s had a tricky time.

“Basically his career’s going in the right direction, but he’s had this back injury which has meant he couldn’t take up opportunities.

“It would have been good experience for him to play in the Big Bash.

“He’s had to rest for 12 weeks and has been disciplined in his recuperation. But now he’s starting to work hard.

“He’ll need some conditioning before he starts bowling again.

“And the thing with wrist spin is that once you’ve developed a level of accuracy, technical modifications are risky.

"If you mess with the fine skills, you are risking a lot.”