Ignored by selectors, Australian all-rounder Cameron waits for his time

Chennai, Sep 23 : At 25, Cameron White finds himself at a stage where his cricketing career could either take off in a big way or his wait to break into the Australian Test team would continue, but the captain of the Australia A team believes his time will come.

"I know I came close to selection (for the Australian Test team), but that was in the past. I prefer looking ahead and continue to perform and make the best of the opportunities," White told IANS Tuesday on the sidelines of an informal get-together organised by ESPN-STAR channel.

White is leading the Australia A team here in the tri-series here, which involves India and New Zealand as the other teams.

Handed over the captaincy of the Victoria team when just 20, White, nicknamed the "Bear" for his fashionably dishevelled appearance, admitted that he was very disappointed at having been overlooked for the 2007 World Cup in the West Indies, but asserted that he had not expected to be in the Test squad that has arrived in India for next month's series.

"I did not expect to get selected," was his simple response when asked whether the Australian selectors yet again overlooked his strong claims as a replacement for the Andrew Symonds who was sidelined in the wake of the "fishing episode".

Critics believed that White was ready to replace Symonds, but the Victorian lost the critical all-rounder's slot to Shane Watson who enjoyed the backing of skipper Ricky Ponting.

White, who is a middle-order batsman and also bowls leg-spin, said his focus on batting had somewhat taken the sheen off his bowling ability. White was often criticised for under-bowling himself, although early in his career, he drew comparisons with Shane Warne who declared White as a Test prospect.

"When you are the captain, it is tough to strike a balance. I might have bowled fewer overs, but we had (Bryce) McGain taking wickets. McGain is now in the Test team and I am sure he will do well," said White.

McGain too is a leg-break bowler and is set to make his Test debut at the ripe old age of 36.

Known for his big-hitting, White did make it to the Australian ODI team, but after 21 matches, he is still to cement his position.

Earlier this summer, White played for Bangalore Royal Challengers in the Indian Premier League, but as luck would have it, he got to play just eight matches and was dramatically under bowled.

"Yes, it was bit disappointing that I played only eight matches and I bowled only one over, that too to Brendon McCullum during his century knock (in the inaugural match at Bangalore). But then, there were other top foreign players like Dale Steyn, Shivnaraine Chanderpaul, Mark Boucher and Jacques Kallis. So, I guess, it was difficult for me to be fitted in. Also, I didn't perform that well," he said.

But White will have his chance to make up when he leads the Victoria Bushrangers in the four-nation, eight-team Champions Twenty20 league in December.

--IANS