Expressing his delight on making a return to Sheffield Shield cricket after a long gap of six years, fast-bowler Pat Cummins is hoping to get into the mix for a place in Australia’s Ashes team for next summer.
The injury-prone bowler, who has endured a miserable run of injuries since making his international debut in 2011, last played in Sheffield Shield in the 2010-11 final against Tasmania, where he ended with figures of 3/165. But the 23-year-old is finally looking well-balanced in terms of fitness and he is hoping to make the most of it.
“There’s the Ashes which is a goal for probably everyone playing Shield cricket this year at the moment,” he said on Monday (March 6).
“I think for me getting back into first-class cricket was the No.1 goal for the year and I’m absolutely pumped to be back.
“I think if I get through these games then hopefully next year I can start off the year just like any other cricketer.”
The right-arm pacer, who has played in the One-Day Internationals and Twenty20 Internationals this term, further said he has achieved more consistency now and credited a long pre-season for it.
“I feel like I’m a lot more consistent now than I probably was a couple of years ago, and I think that’s put down to a few things,” he said.
“I think having a long pre-season, I was able to just work on quite a consistent rhythm and tempo rather than trying to bowl 160 kms every ball.
“I think the beauty of red-ball cricket is the ball normally swings out here (at the SCG). After some rain hopefully it might seam around a little bit so actually bowling within yourself that five or 10 per cent can actually provide some better results. Pace is one tool a bowler uses, but it’s not the be-all and end-all,” he added.
The bowler also said the break after he played the T20 game against Sri Lanka on February 22 has helped him get into the right frame of mind for the Shield game.
“Probably given the extra week that we waited after the T20s has just given me a chance to prepare for the game once I got back in the frame for playing Shield cricket,” he pointed out.
“I just wanted to go in (this week’s match) with no restrictions and not have to think about my body really, so all good.”
Cummins is in line to appear for New South Wales when they take on South Australia on Tuesday (March 7).