When the Leader spoke to Kurtis Patterson last week, the St George batsman was hopeful of using his selection for the Cricket Australia XI to put his name in front of selectors, with a big finish to the Sheffield Shield season to put him in contention for the Ashes in England.
But Patterson’s timely performances for the CAXI have significantly sped up the process.
The 25-year-old has been called up to the Australia squad for the two-Test series against Sri Lanka starting in Brisbane on Thursday.
CA had originally named a 13-man squad but, such was Patterson’s form as vice-captain of the CAXI in a three-day tour match against Sri Lanka in Hobart, he was named as a late addition.
Patterson flew to Brisbane where he joined in training with Australia on Monday morning.
Patterson has enjoyed a strong Sheffield Shield season for NSW, scoring 428 runs including a century against Western Australia in his last knock at an average of 47.55.
He then scored an unbeaten 167 for St George on his return to grade cricket last Saturday before heading to Hobart.
Patterson battered the tourists, making scores of 157 not out and 102 not out, with his mountain of runs leaving selectors unable to ignore him any longer.
National selector Trevor Hohns said Patterson had been pushing his case for inclusion for some time.
“He has been a consistent top order player for NSW, was a member of the Australian A tour of India prior to the commencement of our summer and was most recently selected to compete in the day-night tour match against Sri Lanka in Hobart,” he said.
“We have been asking batters around the country to score hundreds if they want to be considered for selection and given Kurtis’ consistent performances for NSW and his two unbeaten centuries in last week’s tour match against our upcoming opponent, Sri Lanka, we believe he deserves to be added to the Test squad.”
It is unclear as to whether Patterson will be thrown into the XI for the first Test. He joins Joe Burns, Matthew Renshaw and young Victorian Will Pucovski as new faces in the Test squad.
Meanwhile, St George quick Josh Hazlewood has been ruled out of the Test series with an early stage stress fracture in the same lower back area as his previous injury from last summer.
Hazlewood had initially reported back soreness to Australia’s medical team who are confident he will be available for the World Cup in England in June.
He has been replaced by Western Australia’s Jhye Richardson.
