'We weren't ready for Tests'

Australia paceman James Pattinson has conceded he and his fellow generation of young quicks “weren’t physically ready” when they got their initial opportunities to play Test cricket.

Pattinson suffered back soreness after the dramatic third Test against South Africa in Cape Town in March, and has managed just 13 Tests in two-and-a-half years. His pace-bowling brethren Mitchell Starc (12) and Pat Cummins (1) have played that many between them.

The Victorian has been put on a rehab programme to strengthen his back, kept aside for much of the Australian team's fitness camp at the National Cricket Centre for the past two weeks while he follows an individually-tailored programme.

Once healed, he will work with Test fast bowling coach Craig McDermott on modifying his action to prevent a recurrence, and will spend more time playing in the Bupa Sheffield Shield before returning to Test cricket.

“We were thrown into Test cricket at a young age when we physically weren’t ready for it,” Pattinson told Fairfax Media.

“Our bodies have shown that now.

“Looking back on it, I would have loved ideally to have had a couple of seasons or a season playing Sheffield Shield where you can control your intensity a bit more.

“At my age and ability now I have to be going 100 per cent all the time to be successful in Test cricket – I can’t taper off at all, otherwise I won’t get the results. I’m not good enough to do that yet.

“Someone like Dale Steyn who has been around a lot, he can control it. When he’s got the new ball in his hand he can bowl for a bit of swing.

“He picks his time when the ball is reversing to really step it up, because he’s good enough. I probably won’t master that until I get to 30.”

Pattinson doesn’t have to look as far as South Africa for inspiration however, with 34-year-old Ryan Harris and 32-year-old Mitchell Johnson enjoying a renaissance in recent times after missing a lot of cricket through injury and poor form.

“Speaking to Mitch, it took him a good year, year-and-a-half to change his action to get it where he wanted it,” Pattinson said.

“The last few times I’ve been injured I’ve had series to come back for really quickly.

“I’ve got time now to get it right and by the time I am 25, 26, I can hopefully still have anywhere between eight and 10 years left to play Test cricket.

“I want to make sure I get it right now, being 24 and still young. The last thing I want to do is get to 26, 27 where I’m near my peak and it's coming back again.

“I want to be right for the 2015 Ashes. Any cricket I play (for Australia) before then is going to be a bonus.”