Turner key man in T20 World Cup bid

AUSTRALIA’S selectors would have loved to have chosen Ashton Turner for the World Cup earlier this year, and their affection for him remains undiminished.

The longer the 50-over Cup went, the more obvious it was that Turner could have been the man to turn the tide in Australia’s faltering middleorder, if only a chronic shoulder injury had not already taken him out of the picture.

Turner produced a blockbuster one-day knock to clinch one of the great run-chases against India earlier this year that almost snuck him into the ODI World Cup squad, but his inability to bowl or field due to injury cost him — and ultimately, Australia.

However, off-season surgery on his dodgy right shoulder has been hailed a success and Turner is now set to flourish as one of the key figures in Australian cricket with the World Twenty20 just 12 months away.

Despite being delayed by a pesky finger injury, Turner is on track to return to bowling for the start of the Big Bash League in a month’s time, and getting his handy off-spin and razor-sharp fielding arm back makes him an irresistible triple threat.

Australian coach Justin Langer believes a fully fit Turner can help underpin Australia’s bid to break their drought at T20 World Cups.

“Yeah, absolutely. He had surgery in the winter. That’s one of the reasons he wasn’t selected in the World Cup. We felt that as much as we’d like him for the World Cup to be there, it was affecting his throwing a lot and the earlier he could get the surgery done the better,” Langer said.

“He’s had surgery and now he’s building up and getting stronger all the time. Slowly working his way back to throwing and bowling. As he keeps getting confidence in and strength, that’ll be a bonus as well.

“His ability to bowl some off-spin and field with the energy he does is a nice package.”

The highly rated 26-yearold has only faced 16 balls in international cricket this summer due to Australia’s top order dominance, but like David Warner, Turner is yet to be dismissed.