Ashes 2019: James Pattinson talks about getting stronger and better after learning from past setbacks

James Pattinson will represent Australia in Tests after three years .

James Pattinson | GettyIt’s been three years now since James Pattinson last featured in Tests, suffering a career-threatening back injury. However, the 29-year-old pacer, who is now part of the Ashes 2019 squad, has put the setbacks behind him and wants to make a difference in Australian setup which already has plenty fast bowling options.

"I'm here now, I've got the chance. I'm still 29 so the great thing was I experienced Test cricket at such a good age so it holds me in great shape now. I'm not someone who hasn't played before, it's something I've done at a young age. I'm a bit more experienced having setbacks and going through a lot of emotions at a younger age it holds me in good shape a bit older and a bit more relaxed," is how James Pattinson described his selection for the Ashes 2019.

"I feel like I have a lot to offer the Australian cricket team and that's what I'm excited about. I remember Cracker [Trevor Hohns] ringing me after the Shield final this year asking what are your plans? We want you fit for the Ashes. That's when I knew I was a chance of getting back into the Australian setup and since then we've kept in constant communication about being managed. Knowing that you're wanted and feel like you can make a difference to the team. I think I can do that given the chance.”

"When I have played for Australia I've made a good impact. Being a bit older and wiser, knowing your game a bit better, I definitely feel I can impact Tests and not just that but influence players around me to try and push them on as well. I had a meeting about two months with JL [Langer] and Cracker when I got a contract and they said if I'm fit and bowling well then I'd be every chance of being in the Ashes. There was constant communication between myself and my county team and Cricket Australia about bowling loads because I knew how much this was a really important series so I didn't want to burn myself out," he added.

Pattinson made his Ashes debut in 2013 series, but his series was cut short to just two Tests owing to a stress fracture in his lower back. Terming the injury-hit campaign in first Ashes as his biggest disappointment. Pattinson has now grown wiser and knows his body better.

"Because I was in such a really good space going into that, when you're 23 you don't really think about too much you just crack on and do it all," he said. "That's the great thing about being young, you just do it and you don't really worry about the outcome. For me, it was just a good experience to be involved in that series. I was bowling the first ball for my country at 23 so it was pretty exciting.”

"I came into that series in a really good space so to get injured was quite disappointing - it probably hit me harder than it has before. Even the setbacks after that, that one was probably the hardest one to take just because I didn't think it was going to happen, I wasn't thinking about getting injured. That's the thing you learn, you know that when you get older the chances of getting injured are always there and you have to do rehab, you have to be really diligent with all that sort of thing otherwise you leave yourself really open," he said.

"Realistically if you have a big workload and with my history with my back, backing up has been one of the hardest things I've had to do especially after bowling 50 or 40 overs," he said. "I've been working closely with Andrew McDonald and the Vic physio since I've been coming and one his messages to me was 'I want to try and get you to 35 and not 30' and that's something that really hit home with me, that I want to try and be around for the next six years and not one year."

Pattinson is one amongst the six-pace options in Australia's 17-man squad for Ashes, which also includes uncapped paceman, Michael Neser. Rather than looking at it as competition, Pattinson feels the beefed-up pace arsenal will provide Australia with field fresh legs during the series.

"I think it's something a lot of people have been waiting for. Especially Cricket Australia, who have invested a lot into us, young fellas. We were all playing pretty much the same age group together and they've always wanted to have a lot of these bowlers up and running at the same time. They've got that now so it gives them a great choice of a variety of bowlers. It also gives them the option of resting players. It's five Tests with two tour games in six weeks then straight into an Australian summer," he said.

Pattinson is no stranger to English conditions and his recent form also augurs well for his side. Apart from exceptional performance in Shield matches and county, he also did well in practice games, bagging seven wickets in Australia A’s match against Sussex.

"The best thing with international cricket and playing different teams is you're exposed to all sorts of people of great quality. I've worked closely with a guy called Andy Pick who is a bowling coach at Nottingham who is really good. I was over here in 2013 and picked up a few things there. I bowled closely with Stuart Broad for half a dozen games. You just learn by looking at those blokes and seeing how they go about it. A really big help for me is Sidds [Peter Siddle], who's played a lot of cricket over here and done really well too. So to have him in the squad and players like that to bounce ideas off and communicate with is great," said Pattinson.

(With Inputs from Cricbuzz)

 
 

By Kartik Vyas - 27 Jul, 2019

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