I’m a believer in old testament
DAWID MALAN was on the verge of giving up on England ambitions when he was left out of a second-string one-day squad to face Ireland at the start of the summer. But having finally got his taste of the big time, at the age of 29, with a match-winning 78 from 44 balls against South Africa, he says he is ready to throw down the anchor and stick around for at least four years. Malan, who received his cap from Nasser Hussain before England’s T20 series decider in Cardiff on Sunday, said the former skipper’s words proved inspirational, telling him to believe this was the start of a journey, not the end. Malan also revealed a another late-bloomer in team-mate Adam Voges – who made his Test debut for Australia aged 35 – helped him get through the Ireland disappointment and retain faith his time would come. “At one time I didn’t think it would,” he said. “I had a chat with Adam about two and a half months ago after the North v South game in Abu Dhabi when I contributed really well. “But then they announced the squad for the Ireland matches when they’d rested a few players and I wasn’t in it. I said to Adam, ‘I don’t know what else I can do. I can only score so many runs in the games that I’m given’.” But Voges told him of how his own persistence and self-belief paid off and he went on not only to get his Baggy Green but score a century on debut against West Indies in 2015. Now, with his foot finally in the door, Malan is hoping to do chat with Middlesex REPORTS something similar. He maintained his form with a solid 60 against Essex yesterday when the ‘pink ball’ County Championship games got under way.
“You have your best years from 28 to 32 as a batsman,” he said. “You start knowing your game, your strengths and weaknesses. I’d rather be 29 on debut and know them than 21 and not being comfortable with my game.
“Having made my debut a bit later than most, to hear Nasser talk about how you’ve still not made it because you’ve played one game resonated with me. “I’m still hungry to play as much international cricket as I can and I definitely still hold ambitions of playing Tests. If you look at my statistics over the last four years in first-class cricket, they’ve been as consistent as anyone in the country.
“I want to play all three forms for England. I work my socks off day-in, dayout – and it’s not just white-ball cricket I work at. Test cricket is still my ambition, it’s something I want to be a part of.”
Malan, born in Roehampton, west London, but brought up in Western Province in South Africa until coming to England and Middlesex aged 18, has a realistic chance of forcing his way into more white-ball action.
His form for the Lions is a case in point. Against Pakistan A in Dubai in 2015-16, he averaged over 50 in both T20 and 50 overs; he hit a recordbreaking 185 from 126 balls when skippering the side against Sri Lanka A last summer, while against South Africa A this summer he posted an unbeaten 125 and 84 in two games – the auditions that got him a main role on Sunday.
The limited-overs series against West Indies kicks off with a T20 international followed by five ODIs in which Malan could grab a 50-over slot given the likelihood of the Ashes contingent – Joe Root Jonny Bairstow, Ben Stokes and Moeen Ali – being rested.
“I hope I can get more chances and the 50-over format is probably my strongest so who knows what the innings on Sunday has done for me?” he said.
“It would be fantastic to be given another opportunity.”
I want to play in all three forms for England