Injury-prone paceman Pat Cummins is eyeing a return to the Test arena for next summer’s Ashes and is confident his long history of breakdowns is behind him.
The 23-year-old will return to the Australian side for the first time in 15 months for their three-game one-day series against New Zealand, which starts on Sunday at the SCG.
In what shapes as a momentous occasion for the right-handed tearaway, he is hoping to put his injury problems behind him once and for all.
While it’s been speculated he could be rushed back into the Australian Test squad as early as the upcoming series against Pakistan or next year’s tour of India, he said he wasn’t expecting to be back with a red ball in his hands until next summer’s home Ashes against England.
“Like any cricketer, World Cups and Ashes are what you look forward to,” Cummins said.
“The Ashes next summer is a massive goal. At the moment it’s key for me to get back in the side and assert myself in the ODI side and play a full summer and then after that I want to get back and play some first-class cricket with an eye on the Ashes side.”
Cummins burst onto the scene with a seven-wicket man-of-the-match performance on Australia’s Test tour of South Africa as an 18-year-old in 2011, but has been hobbled by injuries since.
He has not played another Test since his debut and has managed just 18 one-day internationals, in which he has taken 33 wickets.
On Sunday and in this series against the Black Caps he is likely to feature in a daunting pace attack alongside Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood.
On the comeback trail form a chronic back problem, he said he was confident his injury woes were behind him.
As he approaches 25 – considered the age when fast bowlers become less susceptible to breakdown – he said he was feeling stronger and ready to play a long stretch of cricket.
“We were playing a game here (at the SCG) a couple of years ago and Josh Hazlewood had his 25th birthday and the physio said to him ‘happy bone-healing day’,” Cummins said.
“I don’t think it’s the magic number but I think it’s the trend. Obviously Starcy and Hazlewood have played heaps since they were 24 or 23. I don’t think there’s a magic number but hopefully the older I get, the stronger I am.”
davSa
Guest
Late reply Ronan. But if I remember correctly Brett Lee was advised to cut down on the beers which were contributing to his injuries and he did Brett Schultz who was from my home town P.E would have done well to take the same advice
Ronan O'Connell
Expert
"When a quick bowler is so injury prone it never seems to go away." That is not always the case. Look at Australia's last two quality express pace bowlers - Johnson and Lee. Both of them had tons of injuries when they were young. Cummins has actually managed to play a lot more professional games of cricket than Johnson had at the same age, and Lee had only played about 20% more games than Cummins has at the same age. And Lee and Johnson went on to take more than 1,300 wickets for Australia combined. So Cummins can take hope from those guys.
davSA
Guest
You've got to feel for the guy , but unfortunately when a quick bowler is so injury prone it never seems to go away . I can recall 2 SA quick bowlers , Brett Schultz who after a handful of tests become the nr 1 ranked bowler in the world . Was a major factor in the Proteas defeating India in a test series on the sub-continent. Schultz totally smashed them. He was a very effective left arm arm quick in the mould of Mitchell Johnson. , but knee injuries finished him off way too early in his career. Another was Mfuneko Ngam . Absolutely dynamite . Could also only play a handful of first class games before he was forced to retire. A sporting career can be unforgiving.
twodogs
Guest
Ditto. CA Must be spending a fortune in cotton wool. Needs to play some 4 day though.
Ches
Guest
If he is fit to play against NZ and is considered the "future" by the selectors well,he should immediately be placed in the starting Test Match 11. No point messing with him any longer. He needs to play. I can't remember a player so highly regarded, payed but played so few games. If fit get him now.