Dominic Sibley, the Warwickshire batsman who received his maiden Test call-up for England’s tour to New Zealand, is determined to firmly establish himself in the national side as an opener.
Sibley’s record in the County Championship this year is remarkable, wherein he has aggregated 1,324 runs from 21 innings at a healthy average of 69.68. He has shown the ability to bat for long periods too, occupying the crease for 3024 deliveries and has registered five hundreds in the season. The 24-year-old however, is not taking anything for granted.
“First of all, I want to go out there and train hard, be as well prepared as I can be in case I do get that call and get the cap,” he told Sky Sports. “Then, once I get the chance to play, it’s an opportunity to never give it away.”
“That’s my aim, if I do get the cap then I want to be opening the batting for England for as many years as possible. That’s solely my aim if I’m lucky enough to get the cap.”
Sibley, who at 18 became the youngest double-centurion in County Championship history, scoring 242 for Surrey against Yorkshire, realizes that playing at the international level is a different ball game altogether. With England desperately seeking an opener after the failed experiment with Jason Roy in the Ashes, Sibley has a good chance to make it to the side and carry forward his current domestic form.
“Everyone that has played as an opener has deserved their chance through doing really well at county level,” he said. “I don’t think it’s a case of me doing anything different, it’s just that this season something has clicked for me, I’ve got a better understanding of my game and hopefully I can take that into the Test arena.”
“This is a different level. I don’t know if you can ever really prepare yourself for all that media scrutiny and stuff like that.”
The right-hander whose career average in first-class cricket is 41.55, exceeded all expectations slamming five fifties and as many hundreds this season, with a top-score of 244. He now looks to polish his skills further against his teammates in the nets, before facing the well-rounded New Zealand attack next month.
“I’m just excited to get out there and test myself, it’ll be a challenge of myself and my skills against our guys in the nets and then, hopefully, if I get the call-up, against the New Zealanders. I’m looking forward to it,” concluded Sibley.
England travel to New Zealand at the end of October and will play five Twenty20 Internationals before the first Test begins in Mount Maunganui on 21 November.
