Bancroft’s work ethic ‘like Lillee’
JUSTIN Langer thought there was something special about Cameron Bancroft when he first encountered the then student in a match in Perth nearly 10 years ago.
Langer was still playing firstclass cricket but was intrigued by the teenager’s defiant batting and willingness to use his feet. He took a mental note to track the youngster’s progress.
Fast forward a few years and Langer had been appointed WA coach with a plan to revitalise elite cricket in the state.
Hard work and young talent were the two elements Langer identified as the keys to WA’s resurgence and as he was overseeing his first Warriors training session, an event that took place five years ago almost to the day, the same youngster caught his eye.
“It was my first ever training session and the thing that stood out was Cam Bancroft’s flying feet,” Langer recalled.
“People were saying then that he was just a plodder, but I told them that this kid would become the best cricketer in WA. People thought I was crazy but he had something that few players have.
“He has the right work ethic, which you must have to be a success, but he goes beyond that. If you ask him to run 10 laps, he will run 20. If you ask him to bat for an hour, he will bat for two.
“He has the same approach that made Dennis Lillee into an absolute champion. No one knows how good he can become, but he has what it takes to give himself the best chance.”
Bancroft, who turns 25 tomorrow, has not missed a Sheffield Shield match since he came into the WA team at the start of the 2013-14 season, a streak of 45 consecutive matches that will end this week when he makes his Test debut at the Gabba.
Bancroft only held on to his place in his first season because of Langer’s faith. The righthander did not pass 17 in 10 consecutive innings in 2013-14.
But Langer was looking to the horizon when he kept faith with the youngster’s promise.