If I need to be boring to win . . . I’ll do it
It’s all about the Gabba this year but I’d love my one-day place back for the Champions Trophy
THIS is the first time in many years I’ve been able to get a proper pre-season under my belt and it’s done me the world of good both physically and mentally. I’ve been able to really get to know some of the younger Nottinghamshire l ads and thoroughly enjoyed the short pre-season tour to Barbados. We stayed in a one-star hotel which was on the basic side but it was a really enjoyable and intense trip where our coach Peter Moores put us through our paces.
Injury-wise I feel pretty good, although I still have to strap up the toes on my right foot which I injured during the second Test in India last winter. The injury shouldn’t bother me too much during the season but I need to monitor it. It’s the same injury that England rugby player James Haskell suffered which kept him out for six months or so. The toes were bent backwards over the front of the foot, the only difference being that Haskell had 110 kilograms smashing down on top of him afterwards.
I’m looking forward to playing some first-class cricket for Nottinghamshire before focusing on the white-ball game with a view to forcing my way back into contention for the England one- day squad for the Champions Trophy.
Injuries can occur at any time but I’ve got a proven track record in white- ball cricket. I was second fastest to 100 one-day wickets for England behind Darren Gough and at the age of 30 I still firmly believe I have something to offer on the international stage. There’ s a real buzz about the current England one-day side and I’d love to be involved in the Champions Trophy on home soil.
Test-wise, England’ s coach Trevor Bayliss has told me I need to approach this season with the Gabba Test in December in the back of my mind. The old sporting cliche of taking one game at a time still applies but you need to tailor your training to ensure you are absolutely in tip- top shape when the Ashes kick off later this year. Those of us who were on the last tour, when the team fell apart very quickly, will have a point to prove against a very good Australia side who put up far more resistance in India over the winter than we did. The recent Australia and India series was a feisty one but there’s nothing wrong with that. It showed both teams cared and I love watching that kind of competitive in- your- face Test cricket. Steve’s Smith’s men will take some beating in Australia, no doubt.
There’s been a lot of talk about us having to entertain and play a certain brand of cricket to attract new audiences. I see where people are coming from when they talk about this but ultimately if I need to bowl six balls at the top of off stump per over for eight overs then that’s precisely what I’ll do.
I’m sure we’ll play with a smile on our face under Joe Root’s captaincy but you have to be able to play different ways to reflect the situation of the game. We probably haven’t been good enough at choosing our moments to attack in recent years and that’s why our results have been frustratingly inconsistent. We need to get that balance right because Australia will expose any weaknesses.
Before then, we have big Test series against an excellent South Africa side and the West Indies.
England’s coaches have given an outline programme they want me to undertake to get ready in time for the South Africa series in July but ultimately, as a senior bowler, it’s up to me to decide how much workload I need to take on to ensure I’m 100 per cent sharp.
At the moment I’d envisage playing five or six County Championship games for Nottinghamshire, although that is not set in stone, with a view to improving on the fairly meagre 96 first-class wickets I’ve taken for them in 10 years since I signed for them.
I’ve developed a couple of technical issues over the past couple of years, falling away a little at the point of delivery, and it can be difficult to iron out technical issues when you’re constantly on the international circuit.
I’m looking forward to working on those problems and it was good to have a run out against Cambridge University last week before t he f i rst Championship game against my old club Leicestershire starting this week.
It was a pretty decent few days of weather for this time of the year and it was nice to get a few overs under my belt, even if I went wicketless in 12 overs. It felt a long way from the Gabba, but every over this season will count. I can’t wait to get cracking.