Australia cricketer declares interest in playing for ENGLAND in what could be a 125-year first

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 still a long way to go before he could become the 12th 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 move top of the County Championship with Essex.

In doing so, the sailor, who had obtained a British passport through his father’s background, endured 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, did not switch allegiance until April 2022 and has not yet been eligible for England.

“As the rules are, it’s been three years since I’ve been a local player in England, so I imagine that will be April next year,” he said. “I’m willing to go if necessary, but I’ve learned in my time that once you think that far ahead, you’re fooling yourself.”

No player has represented both 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 would have loved to have done 10 years ago.”

Surrey, who are looking for a third successive title, wrapped up victory on Monday with two sessions to spare, despite poor weather at the weekend. Either side of making 359 they dismissed Hampshire for 151 and 197, with Worrall winning 8-91 in the match.

After bowling Surrey to victory against Kent last week, he has now taken 14 wickets at 12.14 apiece this English summer. Ironically, they all came with the more seam-friendly English Dukes ball. Worrall missed the first two rounds as batters feasted on the Australian Kookaburra cherry.

England vice-captain Ollie Pope equaled the Surrey record for most outfield catches in a first-class match and took three more at second slip on Monday, giving him six in the innings and eight in the match. That matched a record that had stood since 1957.

Six of those came from Worrall, whose accuracy and ability to find the edge played a key role in Surrey’s triumphs in 2022 and 2023, when he took 39 and 48 wickets respectively.

Worrall, known as Franky after his great West Indian namesake, often goes under the radar due to his undemonstrative manner and nagging reliability, but Surrey captain Rory Burns, the former England opener, said the dressing room knows his worth.

Worrall played three one-day internationals for Australia in 2016

But the fast bowler qualified for England and was able to play in the Ashes

“The way ‘Franky’ bowls, the way he sets the tone for us by taking the new ball, he’s certainly not underrated in my opinion,” Burns said.

With Stuart Broad retired, Jimmy Anderson in his 40s and other players struggling with fitness issues, Worrall could yet find a place in the England attack if he maintains his form for another year.

He would be 33 by the time the next Ashes came around, but he took 195 wickets in the Sheffield Shield and his experience on wickets Down Under, and with the Kookaburra, could earn him an outside bet.

In the second division of the championship, Australian test batsman Peter Handscomb was bowled out for 99 as his Leicestershire team bowled out to a draw in Northamptonshire.

An impatient Handscomb was taken out by a direct hit as he singled at short midwicket in search of his 23rd first-class centre.