Cummins has done exceedingly well to complete two successive Australian summers. © AFP

It's an unprecedented year of cricket for Australia. Ten ODIs - five each against India and Pakistan - in just over a month's time, a 50-over World Cup and an away Ashes series keeps them on their toes from now until mid-September. What's also been unprecedented of sorts is how much cricket Pat Cummins has played leading up to this period.

In the stretch of six Tests against India and Sri Lanka, Cummins emerged as the most used Aussie pacer - out bowling leader of the pack Mitchell Starc by two deliveries. The numbers lend credence to the show of wear and tear in the most cruel format for fast bowlers, something Cummins has found tough to master over all the years since debuting in 2011. In a career that's been frustratingly ravaged by injuries, Cummins has done exceedingly well to complete two successive Australian summers, the latest one culminating in an Allan Border Medal.

When he says 'things are falling in place' and targets more white-ball cricket, it is understandable that there's a genuine itch to put his misery-filled days spent on the sidelines behind and pack in as much cricket as he can for as long as his body allows. But that sentiment is not going to be shared by the team management. A much-needed break is definitely in the offing for Cummins as captain Aaron Finch targets a bit of mixing-and-matching going ahead.

Cooling his heels between now and the start of the World Cup may in no way affect the amount of cricket he plays in the coming months. Given the pacer's ascendancy as a fellow spearhead in Tests [and to the top of the bowlers' rankings], as well as the offer of all-round skills in ODIs, only another injury can deny him a ticket to England for both the big tournaments lined up for Australia.

"He bowled a lot throughout the Australian summer, the Indian series and the Sri Lankan series as well. That'll be something that will have to be managed over these 10 ODIs that are in pretty quick succession and then having April with no cricket scheduled there is going to be really important for guys like Pat to freshen up and for guys like Mitchell Starc to get some good workload in. Because he'll be coming off no cricket at all," Finch said.

"It's going to have to be a balancing act with all the fast bowlers because playing 10 ODIs in a month or even a bit less is uncharted territory for us as well. So there'll be a bit of mixing and matching," Finch added.