New Delhi, June 6 (IANS) Australia pacer Scott Boland, who is finally pain-free for the first time in 18 months, is determined to give selectors a tough decision as he pushes for a place in the World Test Championship final next week, ahead of Josh Hazlewood.

The 36-year-old seamer is fighting for a spot in the WTC final XI, despite being named Player of the Match in his most recent Test appearance against India in Sydney this January. He was left out of the squad during the Sri Lanka tour, where Australia opted for one fast bowler and three spinners in both Tests. Since then, Boland hasn’t played any cricket, last appearing for Victoria in the second-last match of the Sheffield Shield season in early March, due to persistent knee soreness.

“I’m really happy with how my body’s feeling at the moment. Pain free for probably the first time in about 18 months. So it’s feeling really good,” Boland said.

Boland made a significant impact in the Border-Gavaskar series, taking 21 wickets at an average of 13 in three Tests while filling in for the injured Hazlewood. He also stood out as Australia’s best fast bowler in the 2023 WTC final, where he was preferred over Hazlewood. However, with Hazlewood now fully fit and coming off a strong IPL campaign — taking 22 wickets at an average of 18 to help Royal Challengers Bengaluru win their first title — Boland knows his place in the XI at Lord’s against South Africa is far from certain.

Boland said the three-month break has been crucial in overcoming knee soreness that plagued him for the past 18 months, and he’s now focused on making selection as difficult as possible for the team management.

“My goal for probably the last two months was just get myself and my body in the position where I can put my hand up and be ready to go if it goes my way. I probably felt like at the back end of the Shield season, my knee was sort of, not wearing away, but wasn’t going how I wanted to go. And I didn’t feel like I was bowling how I wanted. But now I feel like I’m in a really good spot that I can bowl how I want to bowl. It’s pulling up really well, so that’s all I can do, and I just want to make their decision as hard as possible,” Boland said.

Australia’s selectors face several key decisions ahead of the WTC final, including choosing between Boland and Hazlewood, deciding whether to include a specialist allrounder, determining Cameron Green’s batting position as he returns from injury, and settling on an opener to partner Usman Khawaja, with Travis Head set to return to his usual No. 5 spot after opening in the last two Tests in Sri Lanka.

While the Boland vs Hazlewood call is separate from the batting reshuffle, Boland’s chances could improve if the selectors opt against including allrounder Beau Webster, particularly given lingering concerns over Hazlewood’s fitness following injury setbacks in his last two Tests.

“I felt like I had a couple of really strong games. But Josh is obviously a world-class bowler. He’s one of the best bowlers in the world coming off a really good IPL. So I’m sure he’ll be wanting the same thing here. Obviously, we all want to play but there’s probably not room for all of us.

“I was able to get it to a spot where it’s really strong, and then it’s just gotten better and better since I’ve started running and bowling, which was seven weeks ago,” Boland said.

–IANS

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