Birthday special: James Pattinson – The unlucky bowler who could not represent Australia enough

James Lee Pattinson is one of the most underappreciated bowlers to have represented Australia at the highest level. Despite being known for his aggressive fast bowling abilities, the promising pacer remained in and out of the Australian team but did try his level best and made the most of whatever chances he got.

As Pattinson turns 32 on May 3, here’s all you need to know about the Aussie team’s underrated performer who never got the credit that he rightfully deserved.

James Pattinson: The unsung hero of Australian cricket

Having made his Test debut in late 2011, James Pattinson went on to play at the highest level for another decade. Unfortunately for him, his career was marred with back injuries due to which he could only make limited appearances.

However, what really stands out here is that in the 21 Tests, the Melbourne cricketer registered 81 scalps to his name at an average of 26.3 and an economy rate of 3.22. More importantly, he succeeded in registering a fifer on Indian soil during the 2012/13 season in the Chennai Test. He got rid of India’s hard-hitting frontline batters on what seemed to be a perfectly flat track at Chepauk.

Apart from achieving success in red-ball cricket, Pattinson has also been a part of IPL and in fact, was one of the key members of the victorious Mumbai Indians squad that won their record fifth IPL title in the 2020 edition that was staged in the UAE.

The tearaway fast bowler has also been a part of the Big Bash League where he represented the Melbourne Renegades in the 2013/14 and 2016/17 editions respectively and then went on to play for the Brisbane Heat in the 2018/19 and 2019/20 seasons. Pattinson was reportedly in the Australian team’s scheme of things for the 2021/22 Ashes series, but decided to call it a day on his international career in October 2021.

While the Victorian fast bowler had played his last Test match in January 2020, he was never in the white-ball setup having played his last ODI in September 2015. His T20I career never took off in the first place.