Scott Boland says he’s drawing inspiration from England great James Anderson in the hope his Test career has a few more years to run.
The 33-year-old Victorian faces another nervous wait on the eve of Christmas to find out if he will play in Monday’s Boxing Day Test, where he made his Test debut for Australia last summer.
Scott Boland has made a remarkable start to his Test career.Credit:Getty Images
But the popular quick says his career is only just getting started, looking to English veteran Anderson as an example for longevity.
“I see what he’s doing at 40, I think he’s had one of his best years to date,” Boland said of Anderson.
“I think he’s going really well. I don’t know if I’ll make it to 40, but I’d like to go on for a few more years and I think my body is in a pretty good spot that I can keep pushing and keep bowling lots of overs.”
Boland claimed 6-7 in the second innings of last year’s Boxing Day Test, after Josh Hazlewood – who didn’t play – presented the debutant with his baggy green.
Now selectors face a tough choice – whether to bring Hazlewood back from injury in favour of the in-form Boland.
“I haven’t heard a thing, so obviously I’m really hoping I get to play, but we’ve got a couple of big training sessions over the next couple of days,” Boland said.
Scott Boland gets his baggy green cap from Josh Hazlewood before day one of the Third Test against England at the MCG last year.Credit:Getty Images
“Last year I wasn’t in the squad at all so to be around and training, and playing these last few games, has been great. I’m absolutely loving it and, hopefully, I can keep bowling really well and keep trying to be in the squad and the team for a few years to come.
“We’ve sort of said it over the last little bit that it’s going to take five, six or seven fast bowlers to get through five Tests this summer, four in India and then another five or six in England. It’s not going to be the same two or three guys like it might have been in the past. There might be times where some guys get rested.”
Boland believes the MCG pitch will offer a much better contest between bat and ball than it has in recent times, on the back of a lopsided Test in Brisbane that ended inside two days.
“Through the World Cup, there looked like some wickets with some really good pace in them, so hopefully we get something similar,” he said.
Scott Boland speaks to the media on Friday.Credit:Getty Images
“There were stages during [Sheffield] Shield games where we’d rock up and it would look like a one-day wicket. We’d want the wicket to spin as a team because we had some really good spin-bowling options, but it never really did, it never really broke up, there were never really footmarks on the wicket at all. I don’t know how many draws we had, but we had countless draws where there never really looked like being a result.
“We’ve probably played two or three Shield games on it recently where it’s been a bit more bowler-friendly.”
As for beyond this summer, Boland said he had high hopes to contribute on tour over winter.
“I’m looking forward to hopefully being part of tours to India and England,” he said. “Everyone’s been telling me that England will really suit my bowling, so hopefully I get a chance over there.”
