NEWS
Follow UsAustralia’s Scott Boland has not played a professional game since April, and has only played four first-class games all year, but the fast bowler believes that the injury he’s currently recovering from could prove to be a ‘blessing in disguise’ as it’s going to give him ample time to prepare for the five-Test series against India later this year.
Ahead of England’s home summer, Boland had struck a deal with Durham but a foot injury ended up ruling the 35-year-old out of the entirety of the County Championship season.
The unfortunate timing of the injury robbed Boland of a potential fruitful stint in County cricket, but the 35-year-old is of the opinion that having a pre-season with Victoria is set to put him in perfect shape ahead of the India series.
"It feels a bit like a blessing in disguise," Boland told cricket.com.au, speaking of his injury and the rehabilitation he’s currently undergoing.
"I still would have loved to have played and experienced a county season. I haven't played (much) T20 cricket for three years, so I was really keen to play in the (UK's T20) Blast.
"But I think coming home, having a big pre-season which I haven't had for three or four years as well, having four months in the gym and building up my bowling slowly, I think it's going to benefit me going into the [India] Tests.
"I would have come home from England pretty tired – I would have bowled a fair bit and been sore. I think it's going to be a good thing in the long run."
It’s been a frustrating one year for Boland, injury or otherwise. He started Ashes 2023 ahead of Mitchell Starc, but the game at Headingley in July remains his last appearance for the Kangaroos. He did not get a single game in the home summer and also warmed the bench for the two-Test series against New Zealand, which the Aussies won 2-0.
Boland admitted that he did not expect to warm the bench for the entire home stretch (and the New Zealand series) but credited the ‘Big three’ for being relentless and efficient.
"I was expecting to play at some stage," Boland said. "The coaches and selectors were saying, 'You'll probably get a go at some stage, so be ready'.
"It's hard, especially when my mindset is 'It's seven Tests, I'll get a crack at some stage'. But (the big three) are just so resilient and they kept bowling teams out quickly, that they just don't need that much of a break.”
The veteran felt that he underbowled himself at the nets while warming the bench, and asserted that he will not repeat the same mistake this time around.
“I was stuck between being fresh for the game where I didn't want to over-bowl in the nets, and I reckon I just didn't get my bowling right. I probably under-bowled a bit,” Boland said.
"I came back here (to Victoria) and every time I'd bowl 40-50 overs (per Shield game) and it was just too big a spike. Then my knee got sore from those jumps, and my foot was a bit sore.
"It's my fault, I just didn't bowl enough. Going forward this season, I want to play more games. Even the last couple of seasons (before last) I always wanted to keep bowling.
"I'm keen to play as many games before the Australian summer to make sure my body's in a really good spot."
Boland has been an integral part of Australia’s Test squad in the past three years, but it won’t be a surprise if the Kangaroos decide to slowly phase him out, considering he is 35 already, significantly older than all the ‘Big three’ seamers.
The veteran knows age is not on his side, but, at the same time, he believes that the cases of Stuart Broad and James Anderson show that age does not matter as long as you keep racking up the numbers everywhere you play.
"I'm using this preseason to try to keep myself fit and strong for the next two or three years – however long I can keep going," Boland said, adding that he is keen to explore a career as a bowling coach when he does finish playing,” Boland said.
"I want to keep going for as long as I can.
"Broad and Anderson proved that if you keep putting up good numbers, it doesn't matter how old you are. I just want to keep doing that. I don't want to put a barrier on when I'm going to finish up."
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