Cricket Australia (CA) is reportedly contemplating restricting young pace bowler Pat Cummins to limited-overs cricket until 2015 to shield him from another injury.
Back and foot problems have limited Cummins to only 17 international appearances and six first-class games since he burst on to the scene in 2011.
According to the Sydney Morning Herald, if CA rubber-stamps the plan, then almost four years could pass between Cummins' Test debut and his second appearance in the baggy green, although he is likely to feature in Australia's plans for the World Twenty20 starting in March and the World Cup in early 2015.
CA team doctor Peter Brukner said that Cummins might only play limited-over, T20 and one-day cricket for the next year or two as they are keen on restricting the 20-year-old's workload as he recovers from a recurring back injury.
Brukner further said that every time they had tried to play longer cricket with Cummins, he has broken down, adding that CA would ease Cummins back into cricket, keep the loads fairly low and get the most out of him for Australia.
