- Dan Worrall has declared his interest in playing for England
- He played three ODIs for Australia in 2016.
- Worrall, 33, is classified as a local player in Surrey
Australian bowler Dan Worrall has said he is “ready to go” if England ask him to join the Bazball revolution, but the 32-year-old added there is a long way to go before he becomes the 12th bowler. Australian-born England Test player.
Worrall was speaking after maintaining his impressive start to the English red-ball season, winning 5-47 as Surrey defeated Hampshire by an innings and 11 runs at The Oval to go top of the County Championship with Essex.
In doing so, the sailor, who acquired a British passport through his father’s background, passed a century of wickets for his adopted county.
But Worrall, who played three ODIs for Australia in 2016 before his progress was hampered by a series of injuries, only switched allegiance in April 2022 and is not yet eligible for England.
“As the rules stand, it’s been three years since I’ve been a home player in England, so I guess that would be next April,” he said. “I’m ready to do it if I have to, but I’ve learned over my time that as soon as you think that far ahead, you’re kidding yourself.”
Dan Worrall has declared his interest in representing England at international level
No player has represented Australia and England since Albert Trott in 1899. He played two Tests for England and four matches for Australia.
On his decision to register as a local player, Worrall added: “It’s something I wish I’d done 10 years ago.”
Surrey, seeking a third straight title, claimed victory with two sessions remaining on Monday despite poor weather over the weekend. Both sides making 359 dismissed Hampshire for 151 and 197, Worrall taking 8-91 in the match.
Having led Surrey to victory against Kent last week, he has now taken 14 wickets at 12.14 apiece this English summer. Ironically, they have all come with the more sailor-friendly English Dukes’ Ball. Worrall missed the first two rounds as the batsmen feasted on the Australian kookaburra cherry.
England vice-captain Ollie Pope equaled the Surrey record for most outfield catches in a first-class match, taking three more at second slip on Monday to take six in the innings and eight in the game. That tied a record that had stood since 1957.
Six of them were taken from Worrall, whose accuracy and ability to find the edge were instrumental in Surrey’s triumphs in 2022 and 2023, when he took 39 and 48 wickets respectively.
Worrall, known as Franky after his great West Indies namesake, often goes unnoticed due to his undemonstrative attitude and annoying reliability, but Surrey captain Rory Burns, a former England opener, said the dressing room knows his value. .
Worrall played three one-day internationals for Australia in 2016.
But the fast bowler qualifies for England and could play in the Ashes.
“The way ‘Franky’ bowls, the way he sets the tone for us, taking the new ball, he’s definitely not underrated in my opinion,” Burns said.
With Stuart Broad retired, Jimmy Anderson past 40 and other seamers beset by fitness issues, there could still be a place in England’s attack for Worrall if he maintains his form for another year.
He would be 33 when the next Ashes comes around, but he took 195 wickets in the Sheffield Shield and his wicket-taking experience in Australia and with the Kookaburra could make him an outside bet.
In the second division of the Championship, Australian Test batsman Peter Handscomb was run out for 99 as his Leicestershire team earned a draw at Northamptonshire.
An impatient Handscomb was bowled over by a direct hit when he risked a single to short medium in search of his 23rd first-class centre.
