Rotation plan needed for quicks, says ex-Oz pacer Nathan Bracken

Sydney, Nov.19: Former Australian fast bowler Nathan Bracken , who is suing Cricket Australia over a career-ending injury, believes Australia must consider adopting a rotation policy to get the best out of Ryan Harris, tyro tearaway Pat Cummins and other pacers.

Harris was flown back from South Africa after being ruled out of the second Test in Johannesburg with a hip injury, a concern magnified by a hamstring problem suffered by Shane Watson early on the first day.

The pair had been Australia''s most potent bowlers in the 1-0 series win in Sri Lanka in September, and in the eight-wicket defeat to the Proteas last week.

Harris, 32, also pulled out of the third Test against Sri Lanka in Colombo with a hamstring strain, and the latest setback continues a trend that leaves questions over his ability to play back-to-back matches before a busy summer involving two Tests against New Zealand and four against India. The first Test against the Kiwis starts in Brisbane on December 1.

The matter of managing fast bowlers'' bodies is one close to the heart of Bracken. The former international left-armer was forced to retire in January after an ongoing knee problem.

According to the Sydney Morning Herald, in a landmark case in the Supreme Court he is taking legal action against Cricket Australia, claiming the governing body''s professional negligence in dealing with his injury robbed him of hundreds of thousands of dollars in potential earnings.

Bracken is under instruction not to discuss the court matter but has strong views about how Australia should use the likes of Harris and Cummins, the 18-year-old quick in his Test debut at the Wanderers.

''''To me, I want to see somebody like Patrick Cummins be a superstar for a long period of time,'''' the paper quoted Bracken, as saying.

He added: ''''We''ve just got to work out how we can make that happen. Especially with Cummins, he''s probably somebody you don''t want, at his age, bowling lots of overs.

''''I think it brings up the rotation policy. I know it was talked about in the one-day squad, they were rotating the bowlers as much as they could to stop the niggles and things like that. Maybe it is something that needs to be looked at Test level.

''''If guys are getting hurt, you''ve got to get a solution to keep these guys on the paddock as much as you can while also looking after their rehab and making sure they''re OK to perform at their best,'''' Bracken said.