The prospect of filling Aaron Finch’s one-day opening spot all the way to next year’s World Cup isn’t something Travis Head will let consume him as he prepares for Australia’s series with T20 champs England this week.
Head has been given the first crack at seizing the spot left vacant by the retirement of the national skipper and will bat at the top of the order with David Warner in Thursday‘s ODI clash with England in Adelaide.
It will mark Pat Cummins’ first game as captain and the first of 17 games for Australia between now and next year’s tournament.
Watch Australia v England starting Thursday Nov 17. Every ODI live and ad-break free in play on Kayo. New to Kayo? Start your free trial now >
Head is not new to opening for the Aussies, having blasted his way to 101 and 89 in Pakistan earlier this year, innings which made up for struggles in the Test series.
It’s a position he started his South Australian career in, and one he feels comfortable playing.
That comfort, and his exposed form, means he’s in a positive frame of mind to seize the opportunity presented to him, having known the pain of being dropped, which he was just six months before the 2019 World Cup.
“So now 12 months out from one to get my chance to be in the team is an exciting opportunity,” Head said on Tuesday in Adelaide.
“But it’s trying to not put too much pressure on myself to do something different.
“I have had some really good success at the top. So I don’t want to change that and my mindset around that.
“I have played a lot of one-day cricket to know what is expected of me and what is expected to go out and perform.
“You can’t look too far ahead, there is a lot of cricket to come. I just want to start really well on Thursday and play my role as best as I can.”
Head knows the role he has to play, which isn’t to be Finch who averaged just under 50 in a long combination with Warner, which included victory in the 2015 World Cup, and last year’s T20 World Cup too.
“There is the opportunity to put pressure on in the first 10 overs … And I think that is when I play my best as well,” Head said.
“But you have to respect the new ball, it‘s still going to swing.
“I‘m lucky I have someone really good (in Warner) at the other end, we feed off each other when we have done it a couple of times (together).”
Head, who was the player of the series in last year’s Ashes, battled in Tests in both Pakistan and Sri Lanka, but retained his place in the squad for the upcoming series against the West Indies.
He was adamant he’d done the hard work since those subcontinental failures, against the red ball, confident he was ready to be effective for Australia again.
“I didn’t get runs, that’s fie, a lot of good players have gone over and not got runs in their first couple if series,” he said.
“For me, it’s about learning, adapting, working extremely hard.
“Ultimately I get a chance on Thursday, and then in the Test summer to play really well.”
