Scott Boland will play in WTC final confirms Pat Cummins
Scott Boland has been picked over Michael Neser and will play his first Test in England as Australia has all but finalised their squad to face India in the ICC World Test Championship final at The Oval. Boland, whose bowling average of 13.42 is the best among all Test bowlers, to have bowled a minimum of 1000 deliveries following the turn of the twentieth century. He has edged past Michael Neser for the final bowling spot in Australia’s XI.
As a consequence of Josh Hazlewood’s injury ruling him out, Neser was included in Australia’s official 15-member squad for the ICC World Test Championship final beginning on Wednesday. Nevertheless, Boland will join Pat Cummins, Cameron Green, Mitchell Starc, and Nathan Lyon in Australia’s expected bowling attack owing to his outstanding record set across seven Tests since his astounding breakthrough during the most recent Ashes series in 2021–22.
Cummins acknowledged that the Australian fast bowler is “very close” to being ranked in the same bracket as the “big three” in the selection order but conflicts with the concept of a “pecking order.”
“We’re big on kind of everyone bowling slightly differently. Scott is a seam bowler on a good length, but he just offers something slightly different to Joshy (Hazlewood), and Starcy (Starc) being a left hander is bit different. So I don’t think there’s ever a pecking order. You think about the three guys that you want to go out and play,” Cummins was quoted as saying by Cricket Australia.
Scott Boland looks good whenever he bowls: Cummins
Cummins assured Boland that he need not alter his bowling technique, which has made him so effective, especially at home.
“In the past here in England, because the ball does talk a little more, I’ve seen players get too caught up in trying to take wickets every ball because you’ve suddenly got the ball swinging and seaming. Someone like Scotty (Boland), it’s just a really simple game-plan you hit your good areas, and you stay there all day, and hopefully, the ball will do the work for you. He’s had a few bowls over here now and has looked good. But he looks good whenever he bowls,” he added further.
Boland featured in the first game of Australia’s Test tour to India earlier this year until the team turned to three spinners for the remainder of the series. The 34-year-old’s sole previous performance in the English nation occurred during an Indigenous tour in 2018.
