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Injury-prone fast bowler James Pattinson is all set to make his long-awaited return to professional cricket for the Melbourne Renegades this weekend.
Tearaway quick Pattinson has been one of the most promising young bowlers in the country for some time now, but has had his time on the field limited by a series of injuries since his Test debut against New Zealand in 2011.
However, the Victorian strike bowler looks likely to make his return from his latest setback – a hamstring strain sustained in the lead-up to the Big Bash – for the Renegades against cross-town rivals the Stars on Saturday night.
“James Pattinson had a hit-out yesterday, Peter Siddle as well,” Renegades coach Andrew McDonald said on Wednesday.
“So we feel as though we might have a few more pieces of the puzzle for this game. We’ll assess [Pattinson] and see how he’s pulled up from yesterday, but we’re pretty confident he’ll be available for Saturday’s derby, which is a massive inclusion for us.”
Pattinson hasn’t played at the highest level since turning out for Australia in a Test against New Zealand last February, although he has since played competitive cricket for Victorian Premier Cricket club side Dandenong.
His return will not only be a boost for the Renegades, who were dealt a severe blow when star West Indian all-rounder Dwayne Bravo went down with a season-ending hamstring injury, but also for Australia, who are getting closer to having a full cohort of fast bowlers available.
New ball pair Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood have played every Test this summer, and fellow young quick Pat Cummins also made his return for Australia during the recent one-day series against New Zealand.
Should the quartet not suffer any more injury issues over the next year, it would mean Australia are likely to have all four to choose from for next year’s Ashes series in what would be a major boost to their chances of reclaiming the prized urn.
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