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New Zealand in Australia 2011-12
Cummins' heel adds to Australian injury troubles
November 24, 2011
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Pat Cummins has added to Australia's myriad injury troubles by revealing he carried a tender left heel home from his momentous debut in South Africa. ESPNcricinfo understands he is now in extreme doubt for the first Test against New Zealand in Brisbane.
Unsurprisingly for an 18-year-old, Cummins showed some signs of fatigue during the second innings of the Johannesburg Test, and even though he recovered to claim a startling 6-79 and then strike the winning runs, the admission that he has a sore heel - a particularly stubborn ailment - has further complicated Australia's selection planning for the Gabba.
Still blissful following the dramatic victory at the Wanderers, Cummins wore the magenta of the Sydney Sixers at the SCG to mark 20 days until the start of the Twenty20 Big Bash League, but it was his fitness ahead of next week's first Test against New Zealand at the Gabba that was the most pointed topic of discussion.
"I pulled up a little bit sore after the game the other day, and hopefully I should be right to go but we'll see what happens," Cummins said. "My heel's a little bit sore but it's nothing too dramatic, and it is not going to leave me out … nothing too serious. There's not really much you can do, you just keep icing it up. It isn't going to be too much of a problem.
"I don't think they will [pick me] if I'm not fit to play. Every game for Australia is a massive thrill, and if you get the opportunity you want to be 100% to go. There's new selectors and they sit down [soon] to talk, but I'm not sure of what's going to happen and there's a few other fast bowlers in a bit of doubt, so hopefully everyone's fit and it's a long summer ahead so there's plenty of games to go."
Shane Watson, Mitchell Johnson, Shaun Marsh and Ryan Harris were already in various states of doubt for the match, and the newly-formed selection panel led by national selector John Inverarity is now likely to name its squad on Saturday or Sunday having taken further time to settle on a team.
Of all the players at the selectors' disposal, Cummins is perhaps the most outstanding prospect for the future but also the cricketer in need of the most careful management, so as to not let his fire burn out too early.
"With any player they've got to be well managed and being a bit younger it is probably even more important," Cummins said. "So it is great that they're trying to look after me and all the young guys and we'll see what happens.
"I'm still fairly young, and a few people have told me that while you're young you're looked after a bit better. Hopefully that's the case, but I don't feel too much expectation or pressure going into the games and try to keep it relaxed and don't take it for granted."
Though the youngest member of the Australian side, Cummins bowled like the most senior member of the attack in Johannesburg, adapting to the wide variety of scenarios and batsmen he faced. This was demonstrated best by a sustained and hostile spell to claim the critical wicket of Jacques Kallis early in the second innings.
"Test cricket and Sheffield Shield cricket you've really got to temper your bowling," Cummins said. "If you try to go 100 per cent the whole time you're going to fall over, so it is all about trying to play to the conditions and try to do what you think is most effective. [Doing what the batsman likes least] is always the aim.
"Kallis is a great player and someone I've probably looked up to coming through, he's a great competitor, over 12,000 Test runs and however many wickets he's got, to be able to just [compete with] him is unreal and to tear in and try to get his head off is a big thrill as well."
Daniel Brettig is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo
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Daniel Brettig
Assistant editor Daniel Brettig had been a journalist for eight years when he joined ESPNcricinfo, but his fascination with cricket dates back to the early 1990s, when his dad helped him sneak into the family lounge room to watch the end of day-night World Series matches well past bedtime. Unapologetically passionate about indie music and the South Australian Redbacks, Daniel's chief cricketing achievement was to dismiss Wisden Almanack editor Lawrence Booth in the 2010 Ashes press match in Perth - a rare Australian victory that summer.
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NZ will put up more of a fight than India. I expect a mauling with the featherbed experts arrive.
Posted by hyclass on (November 26, 2011, 1:17 GMT)The level of enduring stupidity that has accompanied the selection policies of the last administration seem to know no bounds.Watson highlighted the poor advice & lack of support from CA when he was first injured.Hughes endured similar treatment that set his career back years.Despite being a master batsman,coaches were unable to coax form from Ponting or any of the other players.In a squad replete with physios,injury has been the order of the day.McGain revealed his encounters with Nielsen in a national publication & the extraordinarily obtuse & vacuous treatment he received from that so-called coach.Harris was selected despite his injury difficulties & lasted 1 Test.Marsh,who hasnt played more than half a season in 4 years due to a back injury,fell apart due to the same injury in his 3rd Test,to Australias detriment.Cummins was selected,despite being an injury prone teenager who was in treatment after the Shield final & is unsurprisingly injured again.The old system worked.This doesnt
Posted by zn264 on (November 25, 2011, 10:03 GMT)C'mon NZ, this is our time!
Posted by Marcio on (November 25, 2011, 7:46 GMT)I doubt it @YoBro. We will not be silenced this time, even if the BCCI does the bully act again. I doubt anyone will be intimidated this time.
Posted by zenboomerang on (November 25, 2011, 4:29 GMT)@Meety... "a few reputations have been dented by the Kiwis"... ABField was wet yesterday & the pitch was flat... hard for the pacement to get a lot out of the pitch... they did very well as did McCullum on a small oval - short on the square like Adelaide... should expect Aust A top 6 to get runs as its playing evenly... Kiwi bowlers may get dented as well... Going back tomorrow so think I picked the worst weather days... Gabba much bigger & bouncier... Saw branches growing out of the Gabba wicket a few weeks ago...
Posted by Dashgar on (November 25, 2011, 4:05 GMT)"If you're good enough you're old enough", thats what we heard all series with Cummins being selected. He might be good enough but is he strong enough? He's now broken down after half of his FC appearances in his career. We need to manage and develop this kid, not rush him in and play him in every game possible. Looks like Pattinson is a sure starter in Brisbane after leading the Aus A attack. I'd still like to see Cutting with him. My XI, Warner, Cowan, Khawaja, Clarke, Hussey, Faulkner, Wade, Cutting, Siddle, Pattinson, Lyon.
Posted by dsig3 on (November 25, 2011, 3:11 GMT)Plenty of options for replacements. Most of them are not proven yet though so we will be rolling the dice. Copeland is a known quantity and should be playing. Siddle is the luckiest bowler around. He will get 2 tests against NZ and will be hoping to get enough wickets to save his career. If he fails against NZ he is surely finished.
Posted by zenboomerang on (November 25, 2011, 3:10 GMT)... lol ... I should have added Copeland to my team... Forgot he is still playing - haven't seen much of him lately... he will get Butterworths spot by the selectors though I still think Butterworth deserves to be in the squad...
Posted byCorrectly lot of aussies have a go at Indian fans when they bring sachin into each and every discussion. Not sure why now for no reason valvolux is bringing sachin into this article. 40 test hundred in a boring draw is still a record. For your record Sachin scored 6 centuries in Australia & Ricky pointing scored 1 century in India. I guess it's hard to make runs in easy pitches for Ricky Pointing.
Posted by MenFromMarts on (November 25, 2011, 3:00 GMT)I think George and McKay or Copeland should come in now that Siddle is th eonly one left standing. Hilfy still isn't doing it so good. I predicted Jackson Bird from Tassie and Coulter-Nile form WA to be future stars but NCN is injured too I believe. Bird just took a ten for. Nice start to the career buddy. I don't think James Hopes is a bad all rounder alternative but McKay should fit that slot. I would have the XI look likes this. Warner, Rogers, Khawaja, Ponting Clarke Hussey, Triffitt, McKay, Siddle, Copeland, George. Clarke to bowl spin in Brisbane it isn't that vital to have a spinner when there is not much to choose from. Hughes out Rogers in. Triffit to be Paine's deputy forever.