When Mt Riverview native Pat Cummins was enjoying a lazy ‘Stay In Bed Day’ on June 27 to raise money for the Mitochondrial Disease Foundation, little did he know he’d get a wake-up call from Cricket Australia just eight days later — to join Australia’s Ashes squad.
The 22-year-old had planned on making his long-awaited first-class cricket comeback as part of the Australia ‘A’ team’s tour of India next month, but received a surprise call-up to the nation’s top squad on Sunday. He was told to pack a suitcase for a flight to England to become a replacement for fast bowler Ryan Harris, who announced his sudden retirement after succumbing to another serious knee injury.
A member of Australia’s squad that won the 2015 Cricket World Cup final against New Zealand — a day he described on Twitter as “the best day of my life” — Cummins had said early last summer that earning a spot in Australia’s 2015 Ashes squad was a possible, but unlikely, goal.
And while he is no chance of playing in the Ashes opener that begins in Cardiff today and comes into the squad as Australia’s fifth fast bowler, Cummins is likely to feature in Australia’s tour matches against English county sides and could be considered for any of the remaining Tests in the right circumstances.
Cummins told the Gazette on Monday “I can’t wait to get over there (to England) and join the squad.
“I’m not sure of my goals (for the tour) yet, but hopefully I’ll play a tour game and go from there.”
Speaking to Cricket Australia just two days before his Ashes call-up, Cummins indicated 2015 would be the year he’d play his next — and only second ever — Test for Australia.
“I love playing with the red ball so I’ve been itching to get back,” Cummins said.
“And the past few weeks I’ve been able to try and learn to swing the ball again and just get used to playing first-class cricket.
“I feel quite refreshed but I’m also ready to get out there — I feel quite strong.”
NSW’s bowling coach Geoff Lawson has endorsed the move by national selectors to name the young gun as Harris’ replacement, despite being fiercely critical of the decision to play Cummins in 2011 when he was still growing and plagued by constant injuries.
“He bowled okay, there was nothing wrong there, but his body wasn’t ready for it,” Lawson said.
“He’s much better prepared than four years ago.
“He still hasn’t played much first-class cricket but he has played a lot of cricket and been in camps and squads.
“If he was playing for NSW we’d have no hesitation in picking him for a four-day game.
“I think he’s ready to play Test cricket.”
— with Sydney Morning Herald
