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Young Australian quick Pat Cummins is banking on selectors’ faith after saying he won’t return to the cricket field before March’s tour of the West Indies.
Cummins made a stunning Test debut in South Africa, claiming 6-79 before scoring the winning runs over the Proteas at the Wanderers in November.
But the 18-year-old has been sidelined since that game with a left foot injury, missing all six Tests at home this summer.
And the right-arm paceman said he won’t feature for either Australia or NSW before the start of Australia’s tour of the Caribbean.
“The aim’s probably West Indies,” Cummins told AAP on Tuesday when asked about a likely return.
“I’m back into running and everything now and hopefully bowling in the next couple of weeks.
“The only possibility (with NSW) would be in a Shield game and I don’t think I’d be right for that kind of workload after only bowling for a couple of weeks.”
Australia begin their West Indies tour with a one-day international in St Vincent on March 16, and Cummins said he wants to be back playing by then rather than waiting for the three Tests which begin later in the tour.
“Hopefully start bowling in the next couple of weeks and then build up over a two or three week period,” he said.
“Play a couple of grade games hopefully in late February, early March and then be ready to go for the West Indies.
“Hopefully be ready in time for the one-dayers. I think it’s going to be harder to get the workload up for the Tests. It gives me another month to hopefully get a spot in the Test side.”
Cummins said his recuperation had been slow-going at times but he was starting to feel progress.
“Just the nature of the injury has been a little bit slow but the last week and a half has been brilliant,” he said.
“I’ve started running and it’s started being pain-free. That’s good signs at the moment.”
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