The elbow is sometimes referred to as the funny bone, but Australian batsman Shaun Marsh is still waiting for the punch line.

Marsh is set to be sidelined for up to four months after undergoing a reconstruction on his left elbow last week to fix a damaged ligament.

The 31-year-old has been plagued by hamstring injuries throughout his career, but said his latest setback – which occurred when he threw a ball while playing in the IPL – took him completely by surprise.

“To do an elbow the way I did it – I couldn’t quite believe it,” Marsh said on Wednesday.

“It’s a very uncommon injury in cricketers. But I guess if anyone was going to find it, it was me.

“The way I threw that ball – I threw it underneath myself a little bit. It was just one of those things where I felt it go a little bit.

“But I didn’t think too much of it at all.”

Marsh took a month off from throwing after the incident in the hope his elbow would recover.

But he knew something was wrong when it started hurting again once he resumed throwing.

The setback comes at a bad time for Marsh, who had worked his way into career-best shape in the hope of a breakthrough summer.

But he has vowed to return as strong as ever, saying he still has plenty to give at State and international level.

“This is just a small little hiccup for me,” Marsh said.

“I’ve been in these positions before, so I know what it takes to get back. I’m well prepared.”

Marsh will miss a host of one-dayers and Twenty20 internationals, as well as the two-Test series against Pakistan.

However, he could be in the frame to appear in the four-Test series against India, starting December 4, if he can prove his fitness and form in time.

Marsh said he was happy to hear of his brother Mitch’s one-day recall for the upcoming tri-series against Zimbabwe and South Africa.

“I’ve got no doubt he’s in a right head space now to perform well at the Australian level,” Marsh said.