James Faulkner sad over Pat Cummins' injury but excited to replace him in Bangladesh Tests
James Faulkner, who has been drafted into the Australian side which is to face Bangladesh in 2 Tests in October, has talked about his sentiments on replacing injured pacer Pat Cummins and whether he hopes to make it to the playing XI.
“I’m close with Pat and have spent a lot of time with him; I’m shattered for him, but it is nice to get the phone call,” Faulkner told reporters at the Cricket Tasmania season launch on Friday.
Cummins impressed in the 2015 Ashes with his combination of pace and control, but has been delayedly ruled out of the series with a stress fracture in his back. Faulkner has only played one Test in his career, back in 2013, but will be hoping his experience of playing on dry wickets in Hobart and Manchester will get him into the playing XI.
Baggy Green has gathered some dust by now: Faulkner
Australia have all-rounders in their squad aplenty in the form of Glenn Maxwell and Mitchell Marsh, but the conditions may make Australia field three all-rounders and pave way for Faulkner’s entry.
“I think most teams around the world now are playing two or three allrounders so there’s no reason why we can’t all play together especially in those conditions as well,” he explained. ”I’d like to think that playing at Bellerive, when it’s been quite dry the last 12 or 18 months, and then spending time in Manchester (for Lancashire), where the wickets were dry as well and reverse swing came in and spin, I’m a fair chance of playing but we’ll see what the selectors come up with.”
Incidentally, Faulkner is one of only five members of the 15-man Test squad — apart from Maxwell, Mitchell Starc, Steve Smith, and Stephen O’Keefe — to have played in Bangladesh before, during the 2014 World Twenty20.
He also added emotionally, “I get (my Baggy Green) out every now and again and have a look at it, but there might be a little bit of dust on it because it’s been a good couple of years,” he said. ”It’s a different feeling and I’ve only got the taste once, but it was enough to keep driving me to get back into the squad and hopefully I can get an opportunity again and do well.”