With James Pattinson in the doghouse over his Sheffield Shield sledging, the expected first Test bowl-off looks unlikely now to be a problem for Mitchell Starc.
Teammates urged firebrand James Pattinson to rethink his approach after a “heat of the moment” sledge cost him his chance of an Australian cap against Pakistan starting at the Gabba on Thursday.
The Victorian quick on Sunday accepted a one-game suspension, pleading guilty after being reported by umpires for personal abuse of a Queensland player at the MCG last week.
Pattinson appeared to be in a battle with Mitchell Starc to join Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins in Australia’s pace battery and his ban means an all-NSW bowling attack will take on Pakistan at the Gabba from Thursday.
The level-two breach followed two level-one breaches by Pattinson in back-to-back Shield games in March, and they contributed to his ban as they fell within 18 months.
Accepting his punishment on Sunday, Pattinson said there was no excuse.
“I made a mistake in the heat of the moment,” he said.
“Straight away I realised I was in the wrong and I apologised immediately, both to the opponent and to the umpires.
I have done the wrong thing and accept the penalty. I’m gutted to miss a Test match, but the standards are there for a reason and the fault is mine.’’
Describing Pattinson as an “entertaining, snarly, old-school Aussie fast bowler,” Starc admitted the Victorian may need to adapt to the times.
“He’s that up-in-your-face fast bowler; it’s something that he thrives upon and it makes him bowl better and I hope he doesn’t have to shut up shop completely,” Starc said.
“But he has to be a little more careful of overstepping that line.
“There is a place for it, but perhaps in this day and age he’ll have to tone it back a bit.”
Test captain Tim Paine was less accommodating, saying Pattinson had “let himself and the group down”.
“It’s unfortunate. It doesn’t sit with our values and he knows and understands that,” he said.
“Missing a Test match potentially is a hard thing to deal with, but he’ll learn from it and come back from it.”
Cricket Australia’s head of integrity and security Sean Carroll said suspension was the only course of action.
“We have a duty to uphold the highest standards of behaviour and the action taken in this matter demonstrates that,” Carroll said.
“On this occasion, James acknowledges he fell short of that expectation.”
Starc himself has known some tough times, with the ‘horses for courses’ bowling strategy in England now an accepted part of the Australian strategy.
Rather than kick stones, the 29-year-old made some tweaks and will return to Brisbane with 17 Shield wickets at an average of 17 to go with his great T20 form for Australia.
“Everything was happening slowly, I didn’t feel the good stuff and positive stuff but I’ve got rid of the cloudiness of that Gabba game,” he said.
“I’ve had a few good weeks since … it changes quickly, cricket’s so fickle.”
He said that level-headed approach – removing himself completely from social media was a key plank in that process – had also helped in England when selectors were looking elsewhere.
“In the past a younger me would’ve thrown the toys out of the cot,” he said of his non-selection.
But now, through good stuff or bad stuff you try to keep it really level and in the end I’m still part of this squad and feel I’ve got plenty to offer.”
Starc said in many ways his role is clearer in Australian conditions, where he will be given licence to let it rip from Paine.
“We felt other bowlers in England in certain conditions were suited better than Mitch,” Paine said.
“But we get back to Australia and conditions suit Starcy down to the ground.
“I know he’s always disappointed to be missing games, so hopefully we see that in his bowling the next few weeks … I think he’s going to be a real handful.”
-with AAP
The post Cricket: Starc shapes up, with Pattinson out of first Test after Shield sledge appeared first on The New Daily.
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