Dawid can blast his way into Ashes squad
from DEAN WILSON in St Lucia
DAWID MALAN is out to prove tonight why he deserves a proper crack at international T20 cricket.
And he hopes it will earn him a more permanent recall to the England set-up.
The left-hander is set to play his first international since August – when he was axed from the Test team – in the first of the three T20 games in the Caribbean.
Even though Malan is getting his chance due to the departures of Jason Roy, Jos Buttler, Ben Stokes and Moeen Ali from the tour, he has a strong T20 record in his own right, averaging 50 from his five internationals.
Average
“It is tough to get into this team but every opportunity you get you need to make it count,” said Malan, who has played in the South Africa, Bangladesh and Pakistan T20 leagues this winter.
“You always want to play more and when you do average 50 with a strike rate of 150 you do, probably selfishly, think you should be playing a bit more.
“It just shows the strength and depth of this England white ball squad, and it’s an exciting time to come back into the fold.”
Malan, 31, was left particularly frustrated over the way he was dropped in the summer with National Selector Ed Smith describing him as being “better suited to overseas conditions”.
There was no call-up for the Tests in Sri Lanka or the Windies, but with the T20 series starting on the fastest and bounciest pitch in the region, the man who hit 140 in Perth during the 2017-18 Ashes may be well placed to make an impact. “It’s never easy being dropped,” added Malan, who still harbours Ashes ambitions this summer.
“And it’s obviously hard when you play your whole career in a country to be told you’re suited somewhere else.
“It is disappointing to be tagged with that but the way Ed explained things to me made more sense than how it came across.
“I played with Ed at Middlesex and I’ve never had an issue with him.
“We did speak about a few things and were quite honest with each other, which is the way it should be. Every time I’ve had a question he’s answered it honestly. There’s been no dramas about that.
“For me it’s about proving a point and showing I can play all over the world.
“It’s pretty simple: score big runs, play the right way and if there’s a spot available Ed could come knocking.”
CRICKET West Indies and Sky Sports are close to agreeing a deal that will see the final two T20 matches shown in the UK on Friday and Sunday.