Australian pacer – James Pattinson has been signed up by Brisbane Heat for the upcoming 8th edition of the Big Bash League (BBL) 2018-19. Adelaide Strikers is the eventual title holder of the BBL.
Previously, the injury-prone Pattinson has played for the Melbourne Renegades for the past five seasons in the Australian T20 tournament. In January last year, the 27-year-old last played in the BBL after missing the most of the tournament with a back injury.
As per Cricbuzz, Pattinson said, “The 2019 Ashes is my real goal, everything from now is getting right for that and putting performances together to get selected for that. That's the real big one. The messages I've been getting from Cricket Australia are they want me to try and get ready for that.”
Last year, Pattinson suffered a fifth back stress fracture just before Australia's Test tour of Bangladesh, which was the biggest setback for his stumbling career.
However, the Victorian pacer is returning to training following a successful operation in New Zealand, and now he is aiming a strong comeback next summer to make it to the Australian squad for Ashes 2019.
The tall pacer has played 17 Tests, scoring 332 runs and taking 70 wickets, and 15 One Day Internationals, picking 16 wickets at an average of 42.56 for Australia.
If Pattinson successfully returns, his signing will be a major coup for the Heat who were also targeting Perth Scorchers swing bowler Jason Behrendorff and are seen as the favourites to get the services of South African pacer Morne Morkel.
Pattinson last played ODI for Australia in 2015 while his last Test was in 2016.
