He regards Pat Cummins as a freak, but NSW cricket captain Moises Henriques has questioned whether the Blues paceman is physically ready for the rigours of Test cricket in India.
Cummins, who last week took eight wickets in his first Sheffield Shield match in six years, was called into the Australian squad on the weekend ahead of the third Test after Mitchell Starc was ruled out for the remainder of the tour with a foot injury.
Allrounder Henriques bowled Cummins, who played his only Test as an 18-year-old in 2011, primarily in six-over spells and said the paceman was in good physical condition.
However Henriques, who has played three Tests in India, said conditions there were a lot harder on the body which tended to pull up more sore because quicks had to bend their backs a lot more on the grassless wickets.
“I think Pat is a very special bowler, so in terms of skill-wise and if you want someone to play cricket for Australia, I think Pat Cummins is your man,” Henriques said on Monday.
“But whether he’s ready physically on the back of one Shield game, that’s a completely different kettle of fish.
“There’s a number of different factors when it comes into selecting guys to play for Australia in those sorts of conditions.
“It was only one Shield game earlier that he got ruled out and apparently he wasn’t ready to play Shield cricket for NSW.
“Now on the back of one Shield game he’s ready to play a Test series in India, that’s their (the selectors) call.
“Skill-wise, can he bowl at that level? 100 per cent he can. He’s a freak of nature.”
The second Test was played in a cauldron-type atmosphere which strained relations between the two teams and Henriques suggested it wouldn’t be a good idea for the Indians to rile the normally good natured Cummins.
“He can definitely get aggressive if he needs to,” Henriques said.
“He’s probably not the type of bloke you want to get under his skin too much, because obviously he can crank it up if he really needs to with the ball.”
Henriques was philosophical about missing out on replacing the injured Mitchell Marsh in India, with Marcus Stoinis getting the call despite having a vastly inferior first-class batting average this summer..
“l’ve been batting well all season but they’ve stated other reasons as to why they’ve picked someone to bat in the top six, so I’ve got to cop it on the chin,” Henriques said.
“Last year when I got picked to go to Sri Lanka on the Test series, I”m sure Stoiner was a little disappointed he didn’t go.
“He had a pretty good year last year and I think I only played one or maybe two Shield games … so I’ve been in the position where I’ve been picked and surprised as well, so you can’t be too disappointed.”
dan ced
Guest
I still haven't really seen enough "success" for Cummins for him to be rushed there. I much prefer Dorff, but I know that such opinions are subjective. Sayers should be next cab off the rank.. but in saying that Starc is an "intimidator" so they need a similar bowler to fill that role that they think they need in their team. Also..off topic, but I'd prefer Faulkner over Stoinis because he is a fierce competitor with the ball, and is an improving scrapper with the bat.
Don Freo
Guest
You don't need to bowl reverse when you have a genuine inswinger and outswinger. He's a good boy, Chad, but he is not in our top 5 bowlers. He should be ahead of Bird.
Don Freo
Guest
Cricketers need to play cricket. He's fit. He's the best. Play him. If he breaks down, it would just as likely happen in Shield or grade cricket. If he goes down, send in Patto or the Dorff. There is no point in having players playing grade cricket when they are better than those playing Test cricket. If one breaks...get a new one!
John Erichsen
Roar Guru
From what I have read and heard, theories of reverse swing and the optimum pace range to promote have changed as more time, effort and resources are used to maximum gains from the ball going Irish.I am positive I have seen bowlers never reaching 135kph having success with reverse swing. What I don't know is, in the dry Indian conditions, do slower deliveries fail to. Sayers is very unlucky but I can't see his luck changing in the near future unless there are several more injuries. For example, if Cummins wasn't selected to replace Starc, I am confident James Pattinson would have been. I think, on a pitch with some natural variation, such as Indian pitches are, Sayers could get results.
BurgyGreen
Guest
Interestingly Pattinson said that he specifically asked the selectors before the series to leave him out, as he wanted to play some Shield cricket and ease back into it. Good move from him. At 26 years old I worry about Pattinson - to my mind he is at least as talented as Cummins and will be an absolute superstar if he can string a few Test series together. Here's hoping he finishes this Shield season and then his stint in county cricket, and we see him back for the Ashes! My dream is to one day see a four-man attack of Starc, Hazlewood, Pattinson and Cummins tear into an English lineup at the Gabba.
Craig
Guest
ashes I mean
Craig
Guest
I hope Sayers gets a chance in the issues, you would think he would do well over there.
AREH
Roar Guru
Had it been Hazlewood out with injury, I'd say Bird would be straight in. Can't really have a pace attack comprising Hazlewood and Bird/Sayers without a sharp, 140+ km/h quick bowler. It was all about a like for like replacement; that said, Patto or Behrendorff would have been just as worthy (if not more) selections. I do genuinely feel for Sayers though. It's rare a bowler takes north of 50 wickets in a Shield season, and he did it with still two full matches remaining. Outstanding really. Sure hope he can play test cricket at some point in the next 12 months.
Andrew Young
Roar Guru
He might well have a point. He also doesn't want to lose his key bowler...
vrx
Guest
How many wickets did Sayers get in the recently completed Shield game (the same match Cummins got his '4 fors')? I would have been happy with either Cummins or Pattinson.
Rob JM
Guest
I think Sayers would have been a better option than bird in India, the fact he wasn't picked shows the selector were planning on playing two spinners from the start and looking to bring Pattinson or Cummins in if they could.
Jameswm
Guest
Pattinson and the Dorf are also coming back from longer term injuries. Sayers is different - he is fit and in form (and has been for 2-3 years), but is a ompltely different style of bowler. I think he'd work well over there with one questin mark - I remember reading once that you need to bowl at 135kmh to get reverse. Is that true? Because Sayers doesn't.
John Erichsen
Roar Guru
Henriques is merely saying what most cricket fans are thinking. One shield game in nearly six years and rushed onto a plane to bolster our test attack. Some cynics are suggesting he needs to get their fast and play soon before his inevitable next breakdown happens. They just hope he is good to complete at least one test before tearing or fracturing something. Less cynical fans are just surprised one game back and a couple of "4 fors" are all he had to do to get the nod. Players like Sayers, Pattinson and Behrendorff had strong claims and more match fitness under their belts.