Pattinson returns for Victoria, targets Ashes

James Pattinson will take an important step towards pushing for a recall to Australia's Test XI this weekend when he returns to Bupa Sheffield Shield action for Victoria with a remodelled action.

Pattinson,  24, will line up for the Commonwealth Bank Bushrangers in their Shield match against the myFootDr Queensland Bulls at the Gabba  on Saturday – his first first-class match since pulling up sore following the Cape Town Test in March last year and his first game for Victoria in more than two years.

"It is a huge relief (to be selected for Victoria)," said Pattinson.

"The whole process over the last six months has been about trying to get my body right and getting my action right to be back playing the longer format of the game in red-ball cricket.

"I am less than a week away from doing that and I am pretty excited at the moment."

Pattinson was recalled to Australia's XI at the expense of fellow Victorian Peter Siddle for the Cape Town showdown with South Africa that resulted in Australia claiming at 2-1 series win.

That was his first Test since breaking down at Lord's in the second Test of the 2013 Ashes, and the recurrence of the injury after one Test had him spending six months of intensive rehabilitiation work on his back at the Bupa National Cricket Centre in Brisbane.

He has also worked on remodelling his action with fast bowling coach Craig McDermott and Cricket Victoria high performance manager Tim McCaskill.

Pattinson played five matches for the Melbourne Renegades in this summer's KFC T20 Big Bash League and is targeting a recall for Australia's squad to tour the Caribbean – especially with Ryan Harris already ruled out of that tour for the birth of his first child.

Pattinson troubled the Brisbane Heat early

Cricket Australia's executive general manager team performance, Pat Howard, said it was planned for Pattinson to feature in three Shield matches this season.

"By making that gradual return to red ball cricket it should allow him to work his way back into the longer form of the game without overloading his body and that approach should benefit James, Cricket Victoria and the Australian team in the long term," said Howard.

Fast-bowlers' paradise the Gabba is an ideal location for Pattinson to make his return, against a Queensland outfit in turmoil following the departure of head coach Stuart Law.

"Hopefully I can use these three games and get some good performances on the board and feel good, and then I can put my name forward for selection for the West Indies," said Pattinson.

"But first of all there is the four-day game starting this weekend and it is exciting to get back out there.

"I love playing at the Gabba as I made my Test debut there, and it will be good to get back out there with the boys and play some red ball cricket and take it from there."

Pattinson said the BBL gave him the confidence to accelerate his return to cricket.

Pattinson uprooting stumps against Sydney Thunder

"Initially I was not going to play any Big Bash cricket but I got to the stage where I had to play some cricket because it had been so long since I had, and I was ready to go," said Pattinson.

"I was a bit nervous coming into the games, whether I could hold my action and actually compete at that level knowing I had been out of the game for so long but I was lucky enough to get a few wickets and stick to my (new) action too.

"I think that gave me a lot of confidence and, looking back, that was a great decision that I did play the Twenty20 matches and get the games under my belt."

Pattinson has played 13 Tests with 51 wickets at 27.07, as well as 331 runs at 30.09. He has also played 13 ODIs for 16 wickets.