Howard deals Cummins India blow

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Australia team performance manager Pat Howard feels that Pat Cummins is ill-suited to conditions in India with the Baggy Green eager to take ‘workhorses’ on tour.

Cummins played his only Test as a teenager back in November 2011 but has been backed for the tour by former Australia fast bowler Brett Lee.

Howard however feels that Cummins may be too prone to injury to undertake a long tour of India in trying conditions.

Howard said in an interview on ABC Radio: “You look back at the sort of bowlers and combinations needed for that tour.

“Jason Gillespie was our most successful bowler of the 2004 tour.

“You have to look at the strike bowler or the workhorse.”

There is hope for Cummins yet though as Howard feels he could be handy to have around for the home Ashes series in 2017.

“There’s the decision between whether or not it is India or the Ashes.

“And before that you’d need one or two Shield games to be get back in.”

Cummins cannot play any Shield games until February as the competition makes way for the T20 showpiece the Big Bash League.

Howard indicated that Cricket Australia are eager to prolong the careers of fast bowlers Cummins and James Pattinson.

Howard added: “We are taking it series by series.

“He [Pattinson] makes a real difference.

“But we have a duty of care to look after him.

“And our conversations with Cummins and Pattinson are about the long game.”

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