By ADEM SARICAOGLU
ALTONA leg spinner James Muirhead was in the car about to go to dinner when he answered his phone and heard John Inverarity’s voice on the other end.
Inverarity, Cricket Australia’s national selector, was calling to tell the 20-year-old he was part of 14-man Australian Twenty20 International squad taking on England throughout the coming week.
“I was with my dad about to leave home to go out for dinner, and at 7.30pm I got the call from John and he said I’m in the squad for the first T20 game against England, so I’m as shocked as anything,” Muirhead said.
“(I was) definitely not (expecting it), considering I’ve only played four domestic Twenty20 games and only two first class games.
“So to play international cricket at the age of 20 – I was not expecting it, but I feel that I’m up for it. So I just can’t wait to hopefully get a crack.”
Muirhead made his Sheffield Shield debut for Victoria last summer, and has since emerged as one of the most promising spinners in the country after impressing for the Melbourne Stars in the Big Bash League.
With fellow spinners Jon Holland and Fawad Ahmed also currently plying their trade with the Victorian Bushrangers, Muirhead said he’s had to work hard for an opportunity at the next level.
“Obviously, Dutchy (Holland) and Fawad are pretty good bowlers, so I’ve been just working really, really hard on my game and then just hoping I’ll get my opportunity and take it with both hands,” he said.
“I haven’t played a first class game for Victoria this year, so playing an international game before I play a game for the Bushrangers is totally unexpected.”
Australia will play England in three T20 Internationals before the eventual Australian squad for this year’s ICC World Twenty20 goes to South Africa for another three-game series.
