Melbourne, Oct 21 (IANS) Australian pacer Scott Boland has shared his excitement of facing England in the iconic Ashes series at home coming summer. The 36-year-old also stated that he doesn’t mind being the 12th man on the side and making way for someone, who deserves a place in the XI.

Boland expressed confidence in making it to the XI sometime in the series and said that he knows that he’ll be the first to be called up ‘if something does happen’, or if the team looks for a bowling change in the lineup.

“I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t excited by what’s coming up this summer. Every summer that comes up, I want to be in the team and playing a part. I’m still happy being 12th man if I do miss out, because I know I’m next in line if something does happen, or if they want a change of change of bowler, or if they want to play four quicks, which probably won’t happen in Australia.

“But there’s nothing better than being in the Australian squad for a Test something like this. I said the other day that all the past players are going to come out and have their opinion. So they can do that. We are just going to concentrate on our cricket,” Boland told reporters at the MCG on Tuesday.

Boland, who claimed eight wickets against New South Wales in his recent Sheffield Shield outing, cited that game against the Blues as evidence that he can dismiss opposition batters even if they have the advantage for a while.

“It’s not really me showing my skills against them. It’s probably more (that) I believe in my skills. So it’s just me wanting to put out a really good performance. I’m a proud cricketer. I want to put in my best performance every time I can. So that’s probably the main thing. I know that there’s going to be spells where, even the other day, I was going at five to six an over, (but) I think I’m getting better at managing my mind around all that stuff.

“Sometimes, when you’re used to going in Shield games … at two an over, you look up and you are going at five or six, it’s a bit different, so I think it’s just about managing those emotions. I think I did it pretty well the other day and was able to fight back and bowl one really good spell,” he added.

–IANS

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