Leg-spinner Swepson revealed that being on the sidelines despite being part of the Australia test squad over a long time has been the hardest part for him while he is ready to make his Test debut in Karachi.
Mitchell Swepson revealed that being on the sidelines despite being part of the Australia test squad over a long time has been the hardest part for him, especially with Covid-19 around.
Bio-Bubbles and strict adherence to Covid specific rules have meant that players couldn’t be part of an international eleven and not be able to go back and play for their domestic sides, unlike in the past.
While understanding that he has not had much game time, Swepson, who is ready to make his test debut against Pakistan in Karachi, is looking at the big picture.
Swepson will become the first leg-spinner to play a Test for Australia since Bryce McGain against South Africa in 2009. His addition is pathetic because it comes a week after legendary Australia leg-spinner Shane Warne died due to a suspected heart attack.
“I’m not gonna lie. It has been tough,”
Swepson admitted on Friday (March 11), speaking at the team hotel in Karachi.
“COVID has probably been the hardest part of it in that I’ve been away and touring a lot in bubbles and hubs and not being able to play games of cricket. So that’s been frustrating. I mean, in the past, usually, you’d be able to be a part of an Australian squad but fly back and play for your state or your Big Bash team or whatever and that hasn’t been able to happen for me over the last few seasons.
“So I’m probably a bit shy on the game time, which has been frustrating. But for me, I’d never sacrifice being in this position and being in a position to take an opportunity and play for my country, that’s the ultimate goal,”
said Swepson.
“And, for me, it’s just trying to stay ready and try and bowl as well as I can in the nets and work on things and keep working on my game, finding ways to improve. I’ve got an amazing group of players around me and staff that I can feed off and just keep trying to learn, even though I’m not playing games, and hopefully, it’s held me in good stead.”
“I’d sort of spoken to a lot of people about my economy rate and how I was leaking a little bit too many runs. One way I could sort of tie batters down was to be able to bowl a little bit quicker through the air, pin the batsman on the crease and still use my flight and my shape after building some pressure, so that’s one thing that I think I’ve improved on.
“I think it’ll hold me in good stead if the wicket here is slower and spins. Generally, it’s harder to play if you’re fast into the wicket, [because the batters] don’t know if it’s spinning, don’t know if it’s going straight,”
he added.
Swepson is hoping that he will play a big role for Australia in the Karachi wicket and try to win the game for the team.
“I think that’s probably a role that Patty and the boys would want me to play, to come on late in the game and try and win the game for the team, and hopefully, I’ve had enough practice at that state level and it goes well. I think as a leg-spinner, especially later in the game, you come into the game a lot more. There are footmarks to work with, which makes it a bit better to bowl to the left-handers, and generally, left-handers have a bit more success against leg-spin.”