England fast bowler Andy Caddick is to undergo back surgery, sidelining him for three months, the England and Wales Cricket Board said.
Caddick has not played Test cricket since January.
He was ruled out of the five-match Test series against South Africa because of a disc problem causing sciatica, said the ECB on Tuesday.
The 34-year-old will miss tours to Bangladesh and Sri Lanka but hopes to be available for England's tour of the West Indies starting in February.
ECB chief medical officer Dr Peter Gregory said: "We have tried strong painkillers and injections to try and relieve the problem without success and we now feel that the surgical route is the only option available to us."
Caddick played the last of his 62 Tests against Australia at Sydney in January before playing in the World Cup.
