Adam Voges ready for the Champions Trophy

After his ODI debut against New Zealand in 2007, Adam Voges was not considered for the remainder of the international series for Australia due to his poor batting technique. He was constantly working hard and was playing for Western Australia. Suddenly, after a long gap, he was recalled for the Common Wealth Bank Series against West Indies. He scored an impressive century against the West Indies and thereby cemented his place in the squad for the Champions Trophy.

Adam Voges has played lots of first-class Cricket. He also played for Middlesex together with his partner Chris Rogers, who was picked for Ashes duty. But Adam Voges didn’t have a good Sheffield Shield season last summer as he accumulated 388 runs at an average of 25.86. But there was a change in fortune when Justin Langer took over as Western Australian Coach. Voges was the sixth-leading run-scorer in the Big Bash League that ultimately earned him a place in the Common Wealth Bank Series against West Indies. He was a completely changed batsman after working with Justin Langer.

“If you’d asked me if I’d be in a Champions Trophy squad back then I probably would have laughed at you,” Voges told. “But it’s amazing how quickly things can turn around. Having a good Big Bash was a real catalyst for that and I’ve been able to kick on since then.”

“I started last season really poorly. Myself personally and Western Australia as a team, we really had a horror start to last season,” he said. “I was always playing catch-up in terms of the number of runs that I scored. I’d finished the county season for Nottinghamshire not very well, and then to not start the season with WA well, my confidence was down a fair bit.

“I was going through one of those patches where I wasn’t really sure where my next run was coming from. If I didn’t score some runs [being dropped by WA] was a real possibility. But then a lot of things changed with Marcus resigning, [coach] Lachie Stevens resigning and Justin Langer coming in. It gave me a breath of fresh air and I think it gave a lot of people the same thing. It certainly helped turn my season around.”

He had been selected for the Champions Trophy in the year 2009, but wasn’t given a chance as he was held as reserve. He hasn’t been able to cement his place permanently in the squad. “I’ve been away on tours and probably got opportunities at the back end of series, perhaps when the result has already occurred, so I’d love to be part of it and get a decent, long run in the team,” Voges said. “Obviously my performances will determine that and the next time I do get that opportunity I certainly have to make the most of it. But I can get those runs.

“In the past, while I don’t think I’ve ever let myself down whenever I’ve got the opportunity, I maybe haven’t quite nailed it as well as I would have liked. That’s probably the reason I haven’t been able to play more than two or three games in a row. I realise that at this stage of my career that I’ve really got to make the most of every opportunity because there’s plenty of young guys knocking down the door.”

Voges had a good summer as he scored an impressive century against West Indies and scored a half-century in a Twenty20 match against the same opponent. Voges has to replicate the performance that he showed against West Indies, which he is capable of. He also brings in the much needed experience in the batting order. He is familiar with the conditions prevailing in England as he played a lot of county cricket for Middlesex. With Chris Rogers being picked for the Ashes, Voges will have to stay in England to play for Middlesex.

“With Chris Rogers being picked in the Ashes squad there could be an opportunity for me to stay on and play a bit of Championship and one-day cricket with Middlesex [after the T20s],” Voges said. “It would be terrific to be over there while the Ashes is on.

“You just never know. You never wish injury or anything like that on anybody. But if opportunity arises I’ll certainly be there and hopefully scoring runs. It’s probably a long shot, but I’ll be there and ready to go if need be.”