Mills credits Hundred for offering him fresh chance
TYMAL MILLS has hailed the crucial role The Hundred played in earning him an England recall.
The paceman was given the last of his four international caps in February 2017 but is ready to grasp his second chance this month after being named in the 15-man T20 World Cup squad.
While a handful of players are on Indian Premier League duty in the United Arab Emirates, the rest of the group flew to Oman last night, to quarantine ahead of their tournament opener in Dubai on October 23.
That Mills was even on the plane represents a remarkable change in fortunes for the 29-year-old, who had slipped out of the picture before a serious stress fracture of the back last winter left him wearing a supportive brace for three months.
And he credits his starring role for inaugural 100-ball champions
All the players loved playing in it and those that weren’t wanted to be involved
Southern Brave with putting his name back in the frame. Mills was utilised as a death-bowling specialist and finished as the second cheapest regular bowler in the tournament with an economy rate of 1.11 runs per ball.
Asked if he would be in the England squad without The Hundred, he said: ‘Probably not. One hundred per cent it has given me a push. I’ve been quite vocal and open in my support of The Hundred and what it could do for the shortest form of the game.
‘Something that the Blast (domestic T20) can’t give you is that exposure and the narratives that can be built. With the Blast you have 18 teams playing 14 games each – so many great performances get missed because they can’t be televised, whereas every match in The Hundred was televised.
‘You could see who was bowling well, or if someone was only bowling well in certain situations, or someone had one good game and five bad ones.
‘All the other players loved playing in it and the players that weren’t wanted to be involved.’