Frustrated Ball wants to show what he can do

Cricket365
April 12, 2018

England seamer Jake Ball is disappointed at not being given an extended run in the Test team having endured a stop-start beginning to his career in the longest format.

Ball played just one Ashes Test, looking off the pace in the opening match in Brisbane and has now slipped behind Craig Overton in the pace ranks.

The 27-year-old was struggling with an injury in the build up to the Ashes and feels he didn’t give the best account of himself.

Ball told Sky Sports: “I don’t think one game is any time to nail down a spot, I think you need to be given a few games.

“I’ve played four Tests: one one-off game in England, two at the back end of an India series and one at the start of the Ashes series.

“I haven’t had a run of games where I’ve shown what I can do and proved to people what I can do.

“In that sense it’s been frustrating and I’d quite like a run in the side but you’re not always going to get that. Sometimes you have to take that one opportunity.

“For me so far it hasn’t worked out but hopefully I’m given a chance at some point this summer or maybe even the winter.”

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Ball is striving to achieve an extra yard or two in pace to try and stick out above the herd with England copping a lot of flack for fielding an attack that often consists of four fast-medium bowlers and an off spinner.

He said: “I know I can bowl 85mph plus.

“I’ve got the height, I can get good bounce, get a bit of seam movement and I’ve proved that with Notts. I’d say England haven’t quite seen that from me yet.

“Out in Australia, I was asked to bowl a lot of short stuff, stuff I’m not used to, but you have to be prepared to do those jobs.

“When you go into a side that’s got Jimmy Anderson, Stuart Broad, Chris Woakes, you’re not going to be the one that takes the new ball and bowls when it’s nice to bowl.

“You’re going to bowl the overs which are harder and the overs you’re not comfortable with.”