NSW speedster intent on another crack at international cricket after again conquering his rehab demons
Cummins steps back onto familiar path
Pat Cummins concedes comebacks get more difficult every time he attempts them but he can't wait to be back in national colours with Australia A come the Queensland series in July.
It is four-and-a-half years since an 18-year-old Cummins routed South Africa with the ball before hitting the winning runs in a memorable Test debut across the Indian Ocean, but since, his career has been ruined by injuries.
The 23-year-old still boasts just the one Test to his name, and only eight first-class matches, as Cricket Australia has managed him carefully amid the injuries with a strict 'white-ball only' policy.
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Cummins said he is always confident of retaining the sort of 150kph pace that separated him from the vast majority of fast bowlers, but conceded that the mental challenges of rehab became increasingly difficult with each injury.
"It's all about trying to work out a goal. I still get to come in (to Cricket NSW) and train every day and be around cricket," he said. "So it's still a pretty good job and lifestyle.
"It's each little win, each little step – being back in the gym for the first time, back running or having my first bowl – trying to get to that next goal.
"But certainly the more breaks I've had the harder it's gotten.
"It's great for me, James Pattinson, a couple of us young bowlers who have had a few injuries, that (Cricket Australia) really look after us. They give us good support and they don't rush us back. In terms of me wanting to rush back, they're more patient than I am, so I'm pretty lucky."
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The white-ball strategy has allowed Cummins to play 18 ODIs, including a couple of matches during Australia's 2015 World Cup triumph, while following on from that he was finally announced to return to the first-class – and potentially Test – set-up when he was named in Australia's Test squads for the Ashes and the cancelled trip to Bangladesh before injury struck once more.
"It's really exciting to have a bit of a goal (after a) fairly frustrating summer," said Cummins, who missed the whole 2015-16 season as well as the ICC World T20 tournament with stress fractures in his back.
"I spent last off-season with the Ashes squad and the ODI squad and the World Cup before that, so I went from being full-time on tour to sitting at home watching cricket. So it was pretty hard but obviously it's great now to have an upcoming tour."
The quadrangular series in Queensland could be an opportunity for Cummins to get the red ball back in his hand, though he's refusing to get his hopes up after only a couple of weeks of low-intensity bowling in the nets.
"I've been back bowling, just a couple of steps (run-up), but each week getting a little bit longer, so by the time the Aussie A series comes around I'll be ready to go," he said.
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"I'd like to get back (playing) everything but initially white ball (only) makes a bit more sense. You can either go higher intensity, but not bowling as much, or bowling more in red-ball games with maybe not as high an intensity.
"Hopefully I get a bit of both (red ball and white) with Aussie A. Build up with that then hopefully I can go on and play some ODIs and use that to get back to Test cricket, but I don't know when."
Shane Watson told cricket.com.au this week that yoga has finally provided an answer to his injury problems, though Cummins cited his inflexibility and impatience as preventatives in following the decorated allrounder's path on that front.
Instead, he has been in Brisbane's National Cricket Centre exchanging ideas and having conversations with former Australia quick Ryan Harris and ex-Australia fast-bowling coach Troy Cooley.
"The thing with all the rehabs is trying to get the bone to heal properly first," the 23-year-old said. "I've got to that stage and now I've started bowling I'll probably try to change a few little things in my action. A few minor changes, but nothing too drastic.
"When I'm trying to bowl really fast I tend to get a big twist in my upper body, so instead of my arms going everywhere I want to try to make things a little bit tighter. Hopefully if I get it right, feel the rhythm and I shouldn't lose any pace and it (won't) put as much stress on my back."