Cummins benefits from Lillee's advice

Pat Cummins' injury woes have been well documented. Since he burst onto the scene against South Africa in Johannesburg where he picked up 6/79 in the second innings, Cummins has missed many matches due to niggling back injuries. From 2011, such has been the extent of Cummins' injury that he has managed to play only six First-class games and seven ODIs.

However, some advice from Dennis Lillee has given Cummins the confidence and he is ready to make a mark in the 2015 World Cup. The other thing working for Cummins is the fact he has not had a single injury in the past one year and his pace has not dropped. He will get an opportunity to warm-up for the main event when he plays for the Prime Ministers XI against England in Canberra on Wednesday.

Speaking to The Age, Cummins said he was lucky with the amount of opportunities that have come his way and he is aware of his current position. "I know where my expectations are and everything else you don't really worry about. The main thing is I've grown up a little bit, I'm older and stronger and I haven't had to make any big changes. A lot of other bowlers go through this, I didn't have to be radical. I just had to wait it out."

Cummins was included in the 15-man squad for the World Cup and he will join Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc and Mitchell Johnson in the fast bowling group. He benefited from interactions with Lillee, who overcame back problems at the start of his career to be one of Australia's best bowlers. The interactions gave him tremendous confidence and he insisted he never gave up in the face of the injuries.

"Dennis has been through it before and I was lucky enough to work with him and talk through it. He's an all-time great and was a fantastic mentor. The main advice was just be confident in your body. It's nothing to worry about.

Cummins is all set to unleash his pace against England and he will open the bowling with Jason Behrendorff, his Perth Scorchers team-mate. PM XI coach Phil Jaques backed both players to perform to their potential. "Patty is an excitement machine ... having those guys in your team is great. We've got a great mix of players, some of the best up-and-comers and guys who are preparing for the World Cup," Jaques said.