By Chris Barrett
Fast bowler Patrick Cummins concedes the mode of Phillip Hughes' death is still in the back of the minds of Australian pacemen as they deliver the short ball.
Cummins, 21, wasn't playing for NSW when Hughes met his tragic fate at the SCG but was a former teammate of the left-hander for the Blues and Australia.
Still raw: Patrick Cummins says the tragic death of Phillip HUghes is still playing on the mind of he and other players.Credit: Steven Siewert
After hearing of the net session in Melbourne on Tuesday in which Australian all-rounder Shane Watson was left distressed but not hurt after being hit on the helmet by a ball bowled by squad member James Pattinson, Cummins said bowlers were still coming to terms with the events in Sydney last month when they delivered bouncers.
"I think it definitely does make you think twice," he said. "The first couple of weeks initially, certainly I couldn't' even fathom bowling a bouncer. Now. once you get into a competitive situation, you kind of try and put that out of your mind. I think most of the guys are trying to not think about it and trying to take it for the freak accident that it was and go back to cricket. But I think certainly it is in the back of most people's minds.
"I don't think anyone knows how they would react until they get put in that situation. But it is still quite raw I guess."
In line for selection for Australia's World Cup squad Cummins is back near the peak of his powers as a fast bowler, recorded at close to 150kmh in Sydney Thunder's win over Brisbane Heat on Sunday night. He hopes to continue his audition to selectors in the Sydney derby against the Sixers at ANZ Stadium on Saturday night.
"It felt like the quickest I'd bowled in quite a while and the pitch was quick so I was happy to see those speeds," he said.