Callum Ferguson ready for international career reboot
Callum Ferguson, the South Australian middle-order batsman, believes he is a "better" cricketer than when he was a regular One-Day International player several years ago. Ferguson and Joe Burns, the Queensland opener, were called into an extended 13-man Australian squad for the second Test against South Africa in Hobart starting on Saturday (November 12).
Ferguson averages 41.43 from 30 ODIs - the last of which he played five years ago. The 31-year-old believes he is ready for a Test debut. "I'm definitely a better player than when I played One-Day cricket six or seven years ago for a long period," he said on Tuesday (November 8). "And certainly since my last game five or six years ago."
Ferguson was a rising star in Australian cricket in the late 2000s but an anterior cruciate ligament in 2009 halted his progress and despite returning to play ODIs, he seemed destined to never play Test cricket.
However, Ferguson has averaged more than 50 for the past three Sheffield Shield seasons and scored a century in South Australia's opening match of the season against Western Australia at the WACA.
With question marks hanging over the fitness of Adam Voges and Mitchell Marsh's form, Ferguson has a good chance to make his Test debut in Hobart. "I think at different stages you do have doubts (if you'll play Test cricket)," he said. "You go through a couple periods where you've missed a whole year of cricket with both knees and you wonder if you know which end of the bat to hold. As a professional I've certainly learnt a lot over the journey.
"I've played under a lot of fantastic cricketers and under some fantastic coaches and with some really professional players and certainly that rubs off," he added. "I'm certainly feeling like I've learnt a lot throughout that period and in a really good space to have myself physically, mentally and technically prepared for a Test match."
Ferguson averages 41.43 from 30 ODIs - the last of which he played five years ago. The 31-year-old believes he is ready for a Test debut. "I'm definitely a better player than when I played One-Day cricket six or seven years ago for a long period," he said on Tuesday (November 8). "And certainly since my last game five or six years ago."
Ferguson was a rising star in Australian cricket in the late 2000s but an anterior cruciate ligament in 2009 halted his progress and despite returning to play ODIs, he seemed destined to never play Test cricket.
However, Ferguson has averaged more than 50 for the past three Sheffield Shield seasons and scored a century in South Australia's opening match of the season against Western Australia at the WACA.
With question marks hanging over the fitness of Adam Voges and Mitchell Marsh's form, Ferguson has a good chance to make his Test debut in Hobart. "I think at different stages you do have doubts (if you'll play Test cricket)," he said. "You go through a couple periods where you've missed a whole year of cricket with both knees and you wonder if you know which end of the bat to hold. As a professional I've certainly learnt a lot over the journey.
"I've played under a lot of fantastic cricketers and under some fantastic coaches and with some really professional players and certainly that rubs off," he added. "I'm certainly feeling like I've learnt a lot throughout that period and in a really good space to have myself physically, mentally and technically prepared for a Test match."
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