The fabled Australian attack that shared all but three of the 90 English wickets to fall during the last Ashes series could well be broken up by a bowler who many believe to be the fastest, fieriest and, ultimately, best of the lot.
James Pattinson is not new to Ashes cricket. He arrived on these shores back in 2013 – the younger brother of the once-capped England seamer Darren Pattinson – playing the first two Tests before a stress fracture in his lower back began six injury-riddled years.
But this brutish right-armer, one who boasts 70 wickets from 17 fleeting Test appearances, is pushing to usurp either Mitchell Starc or Josh Hazlewood come Thursday’s first Test at Edgbaston, the first hint of which came in May this year when Tim Paine, the captain, revealed he was saying nightly prayers over the 29-year-old’s fitness. “That was really nice to hear,” replied Pattinson, when Paine’s words were put to him during a recent chat with the Observer. “And that has been my goal during the hard times. I really want to play a part in an Australian Ashes win. Missing the last series hurt a lot. But it is what has driven me to keep going.”
Confirmed in Australia’s final 17-man selection after passing the final hurdle of the inter-squad tour game in Southampton during the week – the standout seamer, according to most observers – Paine’s prayers appear to have been answered.
Such a prospect looked remote during the 2017-18 Ashes, when Pattinson was laid up by a fifth stress fracture and the established trio of Starc, Hazlewood and Pat Cummins, along with Nathan Lyon’s off-breaks, were repeatedly gutting Joe Root’s tourists.
Since then Pattinson has undergone radical surgery, having had metal pins, wire and a graft from his hip bone inserted in the problem vertebrae 18 months ago. Since he made his latest comeback in November last year the signs have been promising, too: 41 wickets from 11 first-class games – including seven in Victoria’s Sheffield Shield final win over New South Wales – all while slowly building up his workload.
This game-changing procedure was elective too – recommended by the similarly blighted former New Zealand quick, Shane Bond – when a career in short-form cricket was still an option. But for Pattinson, who made his Test debut in 2011 when Ricky Ponting and Mike Hussey were still in the XI, there was only one choice.
“The operation was a bit scary but I went into it optimistic. And even if it hadn’t worked, I’d still have life to live,” said Pattinson, who became a father in the past year. “For me cricket is a small part of life; it just happens to take up a lot of time. The goal was to extend my career to 35 and I feel good. I haven’t lost any of my pace.
“I could probably have played the short format without [surgery] but I looked back at my time in Test cricket. OK, there had been a lot of gaps and it’s been hard at times but I thought if I can get a good run at it, who knows what could happen?
“I like a challenge and I think Test cricket is the greatest challenge. Even four-day cricket, you have to rock up, put in and it’s the most rewarding – a true test of skill and fitness, both mental and physical. I just wanted get back to the pinnacle. Yousee guys going into other formats but for me it’s definitely Test cricket.”
The time out not only strengthened Pattinson’s back but also his bonds with Nottinghamshire, having been flooded with messages from the county and even saddled with a house guest when Steven Mullaney, the county’s captain, played club cricket in Melbourne.
Pattinson had been a hugely popular member of the side during his first spell at Trent Bridge in 2017 – who would not like a fast bowler who takes 32 wickets in five appearances? – and returned again this summer, continuing a family connection that goes back to older brother Darren’s four seasons at the club.
It would have been remiss not to inquire about the elder Pattinson, the Grimsby-born but Aussie-bred fast-medium who in 2008 was handed an unlikely Test debut for England against South Africa and, despite not letting anyone down, was instantly scapegoated for the 10-wicket defeat that followed.
“He’s probably forgotten about it a fair bit,” says the younger Pattinson. “He turns 40 this year and he had a few years off cricket training greyhounds. I got into it with him. But he missed cricket too much and made a return for his local club a couple of seasons ago, winning both finals in his first year back and the Twenty20 this year.
“He’s called it quits again now but was still getting them through quite well. He told me he wished he’d carried on in county cricket like some of the other older guys. I told him most of them aren’t fast bowlers.”
While Darren operated in the mid-80s by way of speed, James prefers life in the fast lane; north of 90mph is his modus operandi. But it is his county experience which could tip the selection balance as, like his fellow Victorian, Peter Siddle, he has grooved an English length that targets the knee-roll and consistently challenges defences.
Stuart Broad, a close friend at Notts, gets the credit for this – England’s batsmen may not thank him – but Pattinson remains one of the most hostile quicks around too; an unapologetic sledger who relishes the contest and celebrates wickets like a maniac.
“I just get pumped up. I go through a lot just to get on the field – the rehab and the grind – and a wicket is like a release. I need that feeling. I’ve been told by coaches it brings the team with me and that’s something I pride myself on.
“I play hard on the field. I’m competitive. I just think it gives you an edge. I don’t go personal but I’ll mention a batsman’s average or if they are struggling. Some like it, some don’t. But it gets me in the contest and gets me thinking.”
So should Pattinson get the nod, any concerns over a softer Australia after last year’s ball-tampering scandal will soon dissipate. While a gentle soul off the field – our interview began with him asking after my family – he has not gone through all that rehab and grind to play nice on it.
