Sams makes top grade
Fairytale Aussie call-up for firebrand
THREE years ago Daniel Sams was a grade cricketer, happy to be just that. Now he’s on a plane to England with a shot at World Cup glory.
Australia ushered in a new generation for its 21-man strong one-day and T20 squad to head to the UK next Sunday, but left out star Usman Khawaja in its first journey into the ever-changing COVID cricket era.
West Australian keeperbatsman Josh Philippe, Tasmanian firebrand Riley Meredith and Sydney fast man Sams are the new faces for the squad that will play six internationals and a bunch of warm-up matches inside a biosecurity bubble in England before returning to two weeks in quarantine in Perth in November.
Batsman Khawaja has missed the squad, leaving his international future clouded, though Nathan Lyon and Marcus Stoinis are back in favour.
Sams was charging into bowl in the nets with his NSW teammates on Friday when his apple watch buzzed with the name ‘Trevor Hohns’.
The 27-year-old couldn’t take the call from the national selector, but somehow put his head down for the rest of the session without letting his mind wonder to what the call meant.
“It was actually kind of a good challenge, because it was a distraction like you get in a game,” Sams said.
But he called Hohns back after training.
Sams was playing grade cricket for Randwick-Petersham at an age when most cricketers have either made it or given up.
With the T20 World Cup in October now postponed to next year, suddenly Sams has a golden crack at a shot at cricket’s ultimate prize – and he wouldn’t change any part of his long road to the top.
“Yeah, I actually think it’s a blessing in disguise for me. When I was 23, 24, I don’t think I was ready for it mentally,” he said.
Sams said he was not overawed by featuring in an attack with the likes of Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins.
“It’s not about comparing myself … (or asking) do I belong with this group of people? For me it’s about, ‘I’m in this team for a reason, what’s my role. Let’s do that role’,” he said.