Brendan Doggett knows exactly what the Australian Test captain is going through at the moment.

With a blockbuster Ashes series on the horizon, Pat Cummins is nursing a lumbar bone stress concern that has him in a race against the clock ahead of the five-Test campaign against England.

It’s something Doggett is all too familiar with.

“I’ve had plenty of them,” he laughed when asked about Cummins’ back injury.

“Fast bowlers, you’re always going to get back soreness, back injuries, whether you’ve just got awareness, whether you’ve got cracks.

“I’ve had everything.”

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After earning his maiden Test call-up in 2018, Doggett spent close to two years battling a series of debilitating back problems that threatened to derail his career.

But after overcoming those injury hurdles, the 31-year-old has developed into one of the Sheffield Shield’s most consistent performers, putting himself within touching distance of a coveted baggy green.

Over the last two summers, Doggett has taken 76 first-class wickets at 21.12 while representing South Australia and Australia A, earning a long-awaited Test recall towards the end of last season’s Border-Gavaskar Trophy campaign against India.

The uncapped seamer was named as a travelling reserve for June’s World Test Championship final at Lord’s before a minor hip issue ruled him out of the recent Test tour of the West Indies.

However, Doggett has declared himself fit and firing ahead of what could be a career-defining summer for the paceman.

“I feel like my body — touchwood — is in a good spot; I’ve got plenty of trust in it now,” he told reporters in Sydney on Saturday.

“I feel like I can just trust myself and trust all my processes that keep me on the track.”

Brendan Doggett of South Australia. Photo by Matt King/Getty ImagesSource: Getty Images

Doggett kicked off his summer over the weekend, taking 2-67 during South Australia’s 131-run loss to New South Wales in Silverwater, including the dismissals of Blues openers Blake Nikitaris and Kurtis Patterson.

Albeit disappointed with the match outcome, Doggett confessed it was “good to get back playing again” after a quiet winter, headlined by three matches with Durham in the County Championship.

“You’re always a bit nervous after a long pre-season, coming back from injury,” he said.

“On a personal note, it was good to blow some cobwebs out, and there’s a bit to work on there for me as well.

“I’m just glad to get the first one out of the way.”

Mentored by the likes of Andy Bichel and Jason Gillespie, Doggett put himself back on the national radar last summer by taking 6-15 during an Australia A match against India A in Mackay. A few months later, he snared a career-best 11 wickets during March’s Sheffield Shield final against Queensland in Adelaide, helping South Australia win their first red-ball title in 29 years.

With Cummins under an injury cloud, national coach Andrew McDonald has stressed the importance of bowler rotation throughout what could prove a gruelling Test campaign against England.

And should Australia require fast-bowling reinforcements during the Ashes, Doggett is the next cab off the rank.

“I’ve had the honour of being in and around that squad last summer, and in our off-season,” Doggett said.

“I try not to look at any of that stuff and just go about my business, trying to perform well for South Australia.

“If the opportunity does come to be part of the squad for the summer, I’ll be over the moon.

“But those boys are doing pretty well, aren’t they?”

Brendan Doggett of South Australia leads his team off with five wickets during the Sheffield Shield final. Photo by Mark Brake/Getty ImagesSource: Getty Images

Doggett’s short-term challenge will be balancing his workloads and keeping his body in pristine condition ahead of the Ashes, with South Australia set to play four Sheffield Shield matches before the Test squad is announced.

He’s desperate to avoid a repeat of what happened at the start of his career.

“There’s definitely a fine balance of playing too much, but also not playing enough,” he explained.

“I obviously don’t want to cook myself too much, which I have done in the past, start bowling badly when I get tired and injury concerns pop up.”

While Starc and Hazlewood are only expected to play one or two red-ball games for New South Wales before the Ashes, Doggett is uncertain what his schedule looks like over the coming six weeks.

And although he’d love to play every match for South Australia this summer, he doesn’t want to push himself.

“It’s just going game by game, as cliche as it sounds,” Doggett continued.

“I’m putting my hand up to play every game I can. It’s a privilege to be playing. I don’t think I’m in a position to pick and choose when I can and can’t play.

“I’ll let other people take care of that and do what I’m told.”

Earlier this week, South Australian coach Ryan Harris declared that Doggett was in the “prime of his career”, adamant he was ready for the challenges of Test cricket.

But Doggett knows he’ll need to get his summer off to a flying start to cement his spot in the Ashes squad.

“I’m trying to break into that squad, so I feel like I need to probably be out on the park putting in performances,” he said.

“For me, it’s probably just trying to prioritise performances and Shield cricket to be part of a squad and get my name in the hat.”

South Australia gets its Sheffield Shield season underway on October 4, facing Victoria at Adelaide Oval.