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 Former Australian pace bowler James Pattinson has admitted his nature to give his 100 per cent in every match probably played a role in his early retirement from cricket.

The now 32-year-old, who played 21 Tests and snapped 81 wickets, was one of the most feared bowlers in the Australian line-up, before he announced his retirement from international cricket late last year.

Pattinson's decision surprised cricket experts around the world as it came at a time when many believed he was the next in line behind the top three Aussie quicks -- Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc. However, repeated injuries, the last one to his knee, eventually forced him to call it a day.

"I sort of did that at training as well (giving everything I've got), when I bowled at training I wanted to scare people and that sort of thing," Pattinson told SEN's 'This Is Your Journey - thanks to Tobin Brothers'.

"It probably contributed to a few of my injuries as well, there were times there when I knew I had stress fractures in my back and I just kept playing and making them worse because I didn't really want to stop playing.

"That was the hardest part. I was quite good at getting through pain and bowling through pain, it was probably my downfall in the end. To be honest, I had no control of what I did on the field," Pattinson added.

"I think I just get in the zone, and I think that's probably why I've been able to come back from setbacks... that will to win. Through a game, there's so many different emotions going through your head and in Test match cricket, people don't realise that you're on the whole time, even when you're in the sheds... you're on the whole time, you're riding every emotion.

"When you're out there and you just want to win so badly, sometimes you do things you just can't control, it just comes out. For me, I think it's always been that hunger to win."