Daniel Worrall still getting to grips with call up to Australian ODI side
South Australia’s 25-year-old fast bowler Daniel Worrall, who earned a surprise call-up to the Australian national side for the upcoming five-match ODI series against South Africa, admitted that he is still getting to grips with the news but vowed to put in his best performance if and when he gets the opportunity to lock horns with the likes of AB de Villiers and Hashim Amla.
Worrall, who took 44 wickets in the Sheffield Shield tournament for South Australia, impressed for the Australia A side along with fellow quicks Chris Tremain and Joe Mennie, who have both earned a spot in the ODI squad, is delighted at his recent performances but understands that being injury-free is just as vital in modern-day cricket.
"It's very exciting. It's come out of nowhere really," the 25-year-old said at Allan Border Field in Brisbane. "I wasn't meant to be playing the Aussie A one-day series but I feel like I've bowled OK and earned a spot along with Joe Mennie and Chris Tremain. (Last summer) was a breakout year, you could say. I had more opportunities than in the past and managed to stay on the park, which is the main thing, as we've seen with fast bowlers around the country.”
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Worrall is keen to make the most of the opportunity as he understands that chances could be few and far between at the international level.
"(National selection) may have come a bit earlier than what I would've forecast, but it's a great opportunity and I suppose what defines you as a cricketer is what you do with those opportunities," he said. "So I'll be looking to make an impact in South Africa and I'm sure the other blokes in the squad are thinking the same.”
Two South African players Worrall is keen to have a crack at are AB de Villiers and Hashim Amla and he revealed that a lot of backroom planning will be done before the Australian team head to the African nation for what promises to be an exciting series.
"(De Villiers and Amla are) a couple of decent players, yeah. To be honest I haven't had too much time to think about what's going to happen next; I've been overwhelmed in the last couple of days with the support from friends and family, and guys I haven't spoken to in years,” he said. “That time will come when we're sitting around the table and doing some video analysis, but I'm sure we've all seen enough of those big dogs in South Africa."
Worrall’s performances during the series against the Proteas will help determine his chances for Australia’s Test assignments back home which include the day-night Test against South Africa scheduled to be held in Brisbane. Whether he makes it to the squad for that match or not, Worrall is looking forward with excitement at the prospect of the second pink-ball international match in Australia.
"I'm sure the people of Brisbane can't wait to see Test cricket under lights," he said. "It's a great spectacle and I'm sure everyone in Australian cricket is looking forward to it. It's a great step forward for Test cricket I think and it's a great place to watch under lights."