Cummins Is Coming

Patrick Cummins bowls Kieron Pollard

We all love to see a once in a generation player at their best, be it Bradman, Warne or W.G. Grace. While none of these greats are playing at the moment, I think I know who has the potential to take the tag from our generation. An 18 year old fast bowler from New South Wales who can fling them down at 140km/h plus. A young man who has been rewarded already and named as the youngest Australian to be given a central contract since the system was conceived in 1998.

Patrick Cummins has a long way to come before he reaches maturity in regards to knowing his own game and developing his variety. Having said that he has another five or six years before he'll begin to move out of the 'young' category. With all this raw talent at such a young age, one must be forgiven for believing that the sky is well within the limits. The potential is in place for Cummins to have played at least thirty odd first class matches before he's even left his teens.

You needn't be an expert to know that experience plays a critical role in regards to developing as a player. With that in mind, imagine Patrick Cummins in 15 years, 100 or more test matches to his name, the amount of development that can occur in that amount of time is huge for any player. In Cummins' case you've already got a guy who can dominate some of the most destructive batsman around, as illustrated during his limited appearances in the Big Bash and Champions League. I'd love to see him end up along side the likes of Glen McGrath, Courtney Walsh and Sir Richard Hadlee at the pinnacle of international fast bowling.

The main obstacle in the way of such success will most certainly be fitness. Cummins has already had a recent back strain which prevented him from travelling with Australia A to Zimbabwe. Many fantastic fast bowlers have fallen short of their potential through injury, the likes of Shane Bond and Shaun Tait most recently with fantastic statistics in first class cricket couldn't make the cut with their broken bodies and disjointed patches of form. If Cummins is lucky enough to keep fit enough there is nothing stopping him from cricketing royalty in a decade or two. I know that I have very high hopes for him, especially in regards to a rebuilding Australian cricket side. While he's not yet a walk in for any Australian side, I don't think it will be long till he's the first man picked for every tour.