Cameron Bancroft eyes Test recall, but hasn't spoken to McDonald
What's the story
Australian cricketer Cameron Bancroft has revealed that he has never spoken to Andrew McDonald, the head coach of the Australian national team. However, despite the lack of communication, Bancroft is still determined to return to Australia's Test squad. His last appearance in Tests was against England back in 2019. Meanwhile, he was then dropped after four unsuccessful attempts at the start of that summer's Ashes series. "I have never spoken to Andrew McDonald, stated Bancroft, speaking at BBC's Stumped podcast.
Career overview
Bancroft reflects on past setback, eyes future Test return
Bancroft was brought back into the team after serving a nine-month ban for his role in Australia's ball-tampering scandal but was dropped after four failures. He had said he wants to make a return to the national team, but it's difficult to communicate with everyone. As mentioned, speaking on BBC's Stumped podcast, he said, "I would like to think not. I have just been outside of that environment. The coaches have been focused on the team and the players involved."
Selection process
Bancroft's talks with selectors and missed Test opportunities
While Bancroft hasn't spoken to McDonald, he has spoken to Australia's selectors, including chief selector George Bailey. Despite being the top-order batter in the 2022-23 and 2023-24 Sheffield Shield seasons, Bancroft was ignored when David Warner and Usman Khawaja were cemented as Australia's openers. After Warner's retirement, Steve Smith was promoted but Bancroft struggled with form and eventually lost out to Nathan McSweeney and Sam Konstas.
Captaincy
Bancroft's leadership, form raise hopes for Test comeback
Currently, Bancroft leads Gloucestershire in the County Championship and began the season with a score of 163 against Glamorgan. Notably, Konstas, who scored an impressive 60 on his Test debut against India in December, wasn't picked for Australia's recent Test series in Sri Lanka. This leaves an uncertainty over who will partner Khawaja when Australia takes on South Africa in the World Test Championship final at Lord's next month.
Numbers
Bancroft boasts 11,000-plus FC runs
Across 173 FC matches, the opener has amassed 11,140 runs at an average of 38.68. In 312 innings, Bancroft has smashed 31 hundreds and 38 fifties with his highest score being 228*. According to ESPNcricinfo, in the 10 Tests he has played for Australia, he managed 446 runs at an average of 26.23. Meanwhile, his highest score was 82* alongside three fifties in 18 innings.