Reflective Pattinson set for Notts, rules out England

James Pattinson will head to County Championship club Nottinghamshire for another spell as an overseas player next winter, but the paceman has emphatically ruled out the possibility of ever appearing for England.

Pattinson retired from international cricket last month, citing a disrupted build-up to the Ashes owing to his ailing body as well as COVID-19, but was this week named in Victoria's squad to take on New South Wales in their Marsh Sheffield Shield clash from Friday.

The 31-year-old has twice before enjoyed stints at Notts, in 2017 and then again in 2019, the latter ahead of that year's Ashes. In eight matches for the county he has taken 40 wickets at 15.52, with three five-wicket hauls.

Pattinson, who played 21 Tests for Australia from 2011-2020, is eligible for an English passport owing to his parentage, while his brother Darren – who was born in England – famously played one Test for England in 2008.

Yet speaking with media today, the laidback quick laughed off suggestions he would sensationally switch allegiances.

"No, I won't be playing for England – that's for sure," Pattinson said. "I've signed as an overseas player with Nottingham, so I'll go over there ... (then) come back here next year and play in the Big Bash, I've got another year with the Renegades, and then I'll see whether my body can handle playing cricket all year round – that's the other thing.

"I'm going to continue to play for Victoria next year – I've got a contract with them – and I just need to work out what my body can handle in terms of playing."

Speaking for the first time since announcing his surprise retirement from international cricket, Pattinson expanded on his reasons for doing so, particularly with relation to his injuries and the way in which the cricketing path he saw himself walking following radical surgery in November 2017 has differed from reality.

"At that point in time, when I went and got surgery at 27, I thought I probably had a good three, four, five years of playing some consistent cricket," he said. "Obviously, it hasn't come to fruition – I've got back and played Test cricket, but not consistently, and even through those Test matches, I've sort of battled through a little bit.

"And the amount of work I have to put into my body to get ready and be able to bowl 100 per cent for 40 overs, is a lot of hard work, and I think it just started to wear thin on me.

"I had a really clear plan to try and get as fit as I possibly could and do a lot of things in the pre-season to give the Ashes a crack, and I just wasn't able to do that.

"With the COVID situation, with a few injuries in the off-season … I really didn't (do) the work that I wanted to … and I didn't really want to go into something as big as (the Ashes) with doubts."

Pattinson revealed that Test teammate and close friend Pat Cummins tried to talk him out of the decision, but ultimately it was a case of injuries taking their toll; the fiery quick also said he was struggling to walk or carry his kit bag in the days after the odd occasions he bowled at 100 per cent in pre-season.

He cited Australia's famous Cape Town Test triumph in 2014 – when he helped bowl his side to victory and broke his body in the process – as his "most enjoyable" success in Baggy Green, while he also fondly recalled the experiences of taking on India's best and playing alongside the likes of Ricky Ponting.

"I played a Boxing Day Test against probably (India's) best-ever batting line-up, and taking wickets (against them) is something you hold pretty fondly," said the paceman, referring to his maiden international summer of 2011-12, when he was player of the match at the MCG in Australia's 122-run win after taking six wickets, including the scalps of Virender Sehwag, Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman and MS Dhoni, in what was just his third Test.

"I sit back and I can say I played cricket with Ricky Ponting and all those guys, and they've taken catches off me in slips.

"So you can say I should've probably played more Test matches, but I'm thankful just to have the opportunity to represent my country, and I'd like to think every time that I went out on the field that I gave everything I had; I've obviously broken my back about seven times to try and play cricket for Australia.

"So that's the toll it takes on you, and that's what you do to try and do it.

"And there comes a point where you try and push, you try and push, and you can't push anymore."