Ashes 2019 | Australia did a great job not rushing things with James Pattinson, says Shane Bond
Former New Zealand cricketer Shane Bond believes it was in the best interest of the team and James Pattinson to have had him rested for the second Test. As opposed to other former cricketers who said it was outrageous to not include Pattinson in the Lord's Test, Bond feels that 'Patto' deserved it.
Veteran fast bowler Shane Bond, who himself faced a lot of injury woes throughout his career, said that he is happy to see Australia grown since they handled James Pattinson with care during this Ashes. The team management decided to rest the 29-year-old Pattinson, who has been battling his back pain since the surgery, for the Lord's Test,
After the visitors drew the second Test with England, at Lord's, the Victorian is expected to return for the third Test that will be played in Leeds, starting on Thursday, August 22.
Had the selectors not rested Pattinson, he might have produced Jofra Archer like fiery spells, but Australia made the well being of the bowler a bigger priority.
Unlike Shane Warne and some other former cricketers, who called the decision to rest Pattinson as "very dangerous", Shane Bond backed it calling it a "smart call". The Kiwi acted as a sounding board for Pattinson in 2016 when he had undergone the back surgery. Pattinson recently revealed he was in "constant talks" with Bond prior to the surgery.
"They've finally learned that you just can't rush things and if you manage him properly then you're going to have a great bowler for seven or eight years," the former New Zealand quick told AAP. "There's been a shift. You still hear some people say 'it's the Ashes, you need to keep playing the same blokes' but the game has moved on.
"You have to rotate. There's a duty of care. They're almost playing four Tests in four weeks, which is pretty tough, and once you get injured you're on the sidelines for a while.
"It's just great seeing James back, knowing what he's been through. Not just recovering from surgery but the frustration of getting injured again and again and again; thinking your career is over.
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