Pattinson was asked to play for England in 2011 Ashes in brother's 'footsteps'

Australian cricketer James Pattinson has revealed that he was approached by England's head coach Andy Flower and fast bowling coach David Saker to ask him to play for England in the 2011 Ashes.

Although Pattinson's elder brother Darren had come to play his solitary Test for England at Headingley in July 2008, he was never again seen in an England shirt after the side was thrashed by South Africa in the Test, the Guardian reports.

However, Pattinson said that he turned down the offer to follow in his brother's footsteps when approached by the most senior members of the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), saying that he owed a lot to Australian cricket and is in his current position because of them.

According to Pattinson, he used to come to England a lot during his childhood as his parents are both from the country, adding that his father used to support England and urged him to try for the team, despite his repeated denials, when he was a young boy.

Explaining how he came to be asked to play for England, Pattinson, who has a dual passport, further said that when Saker became England's fast bowling coach, he still had not played for Australia yet, adding that although he was picked for two Twenty20s after the Ashes, he was 12th man in both of them when Saker and Flower came to see him.

Stating that he laughed off the proposal thinking it to be a joke, Pattinson also said that he has a good relationship with Saker, who was his first bowling coach when he was at Victoria, adding that he is very knowledgeable and has the same mentality like new coach Darren Lehmann.

Pattinson also said that his father soon lost faith in English cricket after Darren's Test appearance, adding that he probably felt that his son's treatment was unfair as it was not his fault that he played and was made the scapegoat.

According to Pattinson, his brother has started up greyhound training in Australia and is working with a big greyhound trainer, adding that he has gone from roof tiling to playing for England to training greyhounds.