Pattinson gets Ashes endorsement from Victoria coach Andrew McDonald

Pattinson would be a surprise pick should he be selected. He hasn’t played international cricket in three years, having last turned out in a Test match against New Zealand in February 2016. However, he has been in excellent form in domestic cricket, taking 26 wickets from seven matches in the 2018-19 Sheffield Shield. That included seven wickets in the final, as Victoria lifted their fourth title in five seasons, with a 177-run win over New South Wales.

McDonald believed that if Australia could manage his workload judiciously, Pattinson could be a match-winner. "I think he's a two-Test player that can win you those two Test matches," McDonald told SEN. "I think when he plays, Australia's odds increase greatly in terms of winning the Test match. But we can't get over-excited in terms of what his body can cope with.

"I think we [Victoria] played him in seven games this year, 151 overs in seven games and really managed him throughout the summer. We had the luxury because we believed his batting could be of all-rounder status at first-class level. Can it be of all-rounder level at Test match cricket level? I think the jury is out on that. So two Test matches for me, with a huge focus on when the conditions suit."

McDonald, however, urged caution in using Pattinson. The pacer has a long history of injuries – he most recently missed a chunk of the 2018-19 Big Bash League with a side strain and before that spent 15 months out of first-class cricket after a major back surgery - and McDonald warned against using him on flat, unhelpful surfaces that could potentially increase his chances of getting injured again.

"If it was a flatter surface you wanted to pick him on, then he'd definitely have to be part of a four-man pace attack," McDonald said. "I think the surface will dictate what the formation of the line-up will be and [Nathan] Lyon plays every game.

"Pick your moments, and he could be a match-winner in those couple of Test matches. But if he has to bowl heavy overs on flat surfaces, I think that will probably accelerate the process of potentially injuring him again."

McDonald went on to highlight Pattinson’s biggest attributes and endorsed him as a threat to England’s batsmen. "I think Cameron White was on a radio station and said he's the best in the world,” he said. “Well, if he's in full flight, he's close to it. Pace, swing, and aggression as well - he makes things happen and I think he would be an intimidating factor for the English batsmen to overcome."