James Pattinson rules out switching allegiance to play for England

Through his parentage, Pattinson’s older brother, Darren, famously represented England in a single Test against South Africa in 2008

James Pattinson has insisted he “won’t be playing for England, that’s for sure,” despite possessing an English passport that would make him eligible to represent the country by 2023.

The fast bowler retired from international cricket in October and it has been reported that he will re-join Nottinghamshire, where he has previously enjoyed two stints, as an overseas player in 2022.

Through his parentage, Pattinson’s older brother, Darren, famously represented England in a single Test against South Africa in 2008, taking two wickets. He had spent years playing club cricket in Melbourne beforehand and had only played in 11 first-class matches in his entire career when the shock call-up came.

This week, Pattinson was named in the Victoria squad that is set to take on New South Wales in the Sheffield Shield. He is also contracted to Melbourne Renegades for the upcoming Big Bash.

His international retirement came as a surprise to many, but he explained – speaking to the Australian media following the decision – how surgery four years ago had set the wheels in motion.

“At that point in time, when I went and got surgery at 27, I thought I probably had a good three, four, five years of playing some consistent cricket,” he said. “Obviously, it hasn't come to fruition – I've got back and played Test cricket, but not consistently, and even through those Test matches, I've sort of battled through a little bit.

“And the amount of work I have to put into my body to get ready and be able to bowl 100 per cent for 40 overs, is a lot of hard work, and I think it just started to wear thin on me.

“I had a really clear plan to try and get as fit as I possibly could and do a lot of things in the pre-season to give the Ashes a crack, and I just wasn't able to do that.”

^{James Pattinson represented Australia in 21 Tests}

Pattinson has featured in just four Tests since that operation: two in England and two against New Zealand in the 2019/20 winter. He retired having played 21 Tests, with 81 wickets to his name.

He added that teammate Pat Cummins had tried to persuade him not to call time on his Australia career but that he already knew his time was up, given the exertions on his body that he knew he could no longer withstand.

Australia’s chief selector, George Bailey, said: “Everyone who has played with Patto has thrived on his competitive nature and the sheer pride he takes in playing for his country. James epitomises what it means to play for Australia, the sacrifices you make and the hurdles you have to overcome on the journey.

“But his record speaks for itself, he has been a wonderful player. We would have loved to have seen a lot more of him over the years.”

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James Pattinson retires from international cricket