Injury-ridden Pattinson not as serious about cricket

Once the youngest sensation for Australia, Pattinson has spent two years on the sidelines

Once touted to be the leader of Australia’s pace attack, James Pattinson has admitted he is not taking cricket as seriously these days and has already started pursuing a diploma in Building and Construction, and has been keenly interested in training greyhounds, reports ESPNCricinfo.

"I'm probably not taking it as seriously as I did when I was younger," Pattinson said, after rejoining the Test squad. “It was sort of everything to me, cricket. But now, having been away from the game, I've got a few things outside cricket that I enjoy as well. So I’m really relaxed with my cricket now.

There's a lot of hobbies, I've just started a Diploma in Building and Construction so that's something that I'm really keen on. I've got a passion for the greyhounds because my brother [Darren] is a greyhound trainer so there's been a lot of early mornings walking greyhounds around while I was in a back brace.”

Pattinson’s story, since his emergence in 2011 as a 21-year old rookie who’d send down thunderbolts, to his subsequent disappearance from the scene and his current return to the Australian side for the first time in 20 months, speaks volumes about his struggles to stay fit.

He has had injuries to his feet, ribs and hamstrings, but the most devastating of all has been the one to his back. Pattinson has suffered from multiple stress fractures- in the 2013 Ashes, and again in 2014- and has played only 13 of the 48 Tests that Australia have played since his debut in 2011.

He didn’t play in the day-night Test against New Zealand, but now, with an injury to Mitchell Starc, and the retirement of Mitchell Johnson, Pattinson is expected to share the new-ball attack with Josh Hazelwood and Peter Siddle.

Having modified his action to help his back, Australia would expect Pattinson to be a strike bowler, as he expects to reach similar speeds with his re-modelled action as he used to when he first appeared on the international scene.

“There's always opportunities with fast bowlers," Pattinson said. “Everyone gets injured at some stage during their career. You've just got to be ready to take those opportunities. Our bowling cartel is pretty close, we're always looking out for each other.”

“It's really exciting to see Josh do quite well in the last Test and Pete to get his 200 wickets. It's pretty exciting to hopefully be joining them."

He also has words of praise for his team-mate and fellow fast bowler Peter Siddle.

"He's been a great help for me throughout my career, and not just at the start of my career. Over the last two years when I’ve been injured he’s been a really good sounding board for me and been great.”

Siddle went into the third day of the day-night Test against New Zealand struck with grief, as his grandmother had passed away before the day’s play, was out there to hit the winning runs and hand Australia the victory in the first ever day-night Test in history.