Comeback kid James Pattinson believes the future of fast bowlers is more likely to be restricted to one or two formats as cricket's hectic playing schedule only heats up.

Pattinson, who is bowling again in the nets after surgery last November to fix yet another stress fracture in a vertebrae, says he was able to strike just about the perfect balance in his last comeback from injury, only to push his body a bridge too far with the carrot of Test cricket dangling.

The speedster had impressed with Victoria in the Sheffield Shield and then Nottinghamshire in the County Championship last year, but a winter period of preparation for Australia's two-Test series in Bangladesh proved too much for his troublesome back.

"I think I pretty much got it right last time, I probably just bowled for a bit too long," he said. "I got through a year and then with the Bangladesh series (approaching), I was straight back into bowling.

"It's just about being smart about when there's opportunities to have a bit of a rest – feet up and go again, rather than just trying to go all year round.

"You see our three quicks who have had a pretty big summer and they've succumbed to that, so it's really hard."

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Pattinson said cricket was destined to become more specified, due to not only the increasing differences between the three formats but also because of the demands the constancy of cricket place on the body.

"I think we'll see the game move now where you're going to have (bowlers picking formats)," he continued.

"England do it well with their bowlers, they've got specialist one-day players, and you see Stuart Broad and Jimmy Anderson just playing Test cricket, and that seems to do quite well for them.

"I think with the amount of cricket you've got now, with all three formats … you'll probably see bowlers will probably stick to the one format, or not as much one-day stuff."

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While Pattinson is upbeat about his recovery, he said on Friday there are no guarantees he will return to Test cricket.

"I never doubt my ability in getting back there – obviously it's just the history with injuries," he said. "That's the thing, whether I can get back. It's pretty hard, Test cricket bowling.

"Whether my body allows me, I will be doing everything I possibly can to get back there."