Aaron Finch believes Nottinghamshire have signed a world-class fast bowler at the very top of his game in James Pattinson.
The Victoria and Australia batsman watched from the slip cordon as the soon-to-be Outlaw blew away Western Australia with second innings figures of 5-7 recently.
"I don't know if I have seen him bowl better than this at the moment," said Finch.
"He is really comfortable with where his action is at and where his body is at.
“Not being a fast bowler, I can't imagine the mental toughness it takes to get through injury after injury, doing all your rehab, getting back, then being back in the gym doing your rehab again.
“He's just really comfortable with where his game is at."
Pattinson, 26, is known for bowling at speeds of over 90-miles-per-hour, and according to Finch that’s only the half of it.
With Pattinson four games into his Sheffield Shield comeback following a long-term injury, Finch testifies that the 36-time Australian international now has the ball hooping.
The result was a five-wicket haul against Western Australia in Alice Springs, followed by the well documented heroics against Queensland.
"When he gets his tail up and the ball is shifting in the air slightly, it's a different ball game," he said.
"He's someone who has obviously got pace. It took a couple of games for him to find his rhythm again.
“I think he was, probably by his own admission, a little bit off the mark in his first couple of Shield games back.
"But that second-innings spell against WA up in Alice - to knock them over when they were starting to build a nice lead, was unbelievable.
“Then he kept that going in Brisbane. He looks like he's bowling within himself, but still fast and with a lot of control.
“He's obviously very passionate and when he gets his tail up, he can be hard to stop.
"I don't think that good players are generally worried by pace, they're more worried by movement.
“If you can move the ball at 135, it's a lot tougher to face than someone who doesn't swing it at 145.
“But he [Pattinson] has got all the attributes at the moment to knock over a side.”
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