McKay was unaware there were any injury problems in the Australia team, so he was surprised when he was called up and offered the chance to become Australia's 412th Test cap.
"I didn't think there was any chance at all," McKay said in Melbourne before flying to Adelaide to join the Australian squad in Adelaide for Friday's Test.
"There's a lot of players around playing very good cricket and not knowing there were any injury concerns, it came as a great shock."
McKay, 26, made his one-day debut for Australia in India last month and his first appearance as an Australian Twenty20 player quickly followed when he took 4-18 against the ACA All-Stars at the Gabba two weeks ago.
With NSW left-armer Doug Bollinger the strong favourite to replace Ben Hilfenhaus in Adelaide, Mackay is likely to be 12th man.
"It's going to be a great experience, just being involved with guys like Ricky Ponting and Michael Clarke," he said.
"It'll be a great thrill and a great learning opportunity for me to be a part of.
"Hopefully, I can learn and some day I actually do make my debut for Australia."
Coach Tim Nielsen has said McKay is unlikely to play but he should be prepared -- Jason Krejza hurt his ankle at training two days before last year's Adelaide Test, opening the door for Nathan Hauritz.
McKay said his two one-day internationals in India had been a good education about cricket at international level.
"It was a massive jump from playing domestic cricket here and all of a sudden walking out in India with 45,000 screaming fans," McKay said.
"To play against Sachin Tendulkar and (Virender) Sehwag and (MS) Dhoni was a great thrill.
"In Australian first-class cricket, you're playing against three or four seasoned campaigners and a couple of young kids with great ability.
"But all of a sudden you're playing international cricket and you've got six or seven top batters who have played international cricket for years."
McKay leaves for Adelaide with more confidence than he did when he was drafted in to the national one-day squad a month ago, when the only players he knew were his Victorian teammates.
But the right-arm quick quickly won acceptance from his Australian teammates when he claimed 3-59 on debut in Hyderabad, when he removed Tendulkar and bowled well at the close to help clinch a narrow Australian win.
"I am a lot more confident in my own ability now," he said.
"I didn't think there was any chance at all," McKay said in Melbourne before flying to Adelaide to join the Australian squad in Adelaide for Friday's Test.
"There's a lot of players around playing very good cricket and not knowing there were any injury concerns, it came as a great shock."
McKay, 26, made his one-day debut for Australia in India last month and his first appearance as an Australian Twenty20 player quickly followed when he took 4-18 against the ACA All-Stars at the Gabba two weeks ago.
With NSW left-armer Doug Bollinger the strong favourite to replace Ben Hilfenhaus in Adelaide, Mackay is likely to be 12th man.
"It's going to be a great experience, just being involved with guys like Ricky Ponting and Michael Clarke," he said.
"It'll be a great thrill and a great learning opportunity for me to be a part of.
"Hopefully, I can learn and some day I actually do make my debut for Australia."
Coach Tim Nielsen has said McKay is unlikely to play but he should be prepared -- Jason Krejza hurt his ankle at training two days before last year's Adelaide Test, opening the door for Nathan Hauritz.
McKay said his two one-day internationals in India had been a good education about cricket at international level.
"It was a massive jump from playing domestic cricket here and all of a sudden walking out in India with 45,000 screaming fans," McKay said.
"To play against Sachin Tendulkar and (Virender) Sehwag and (MS) Dhoni was a great thrill.
"In Australian first-class cricket, you're playing against three or four seasoned campaigners and a couple of young kids with great ability.
"But all of a sudden you're playing international cricket and you've got six or seven top batters who have played international cricket for years."
McKay leaves for Adelaide with more confidence than he did when he was drafted in to the national one-day squad a month ago, when the only players he knew were his Victorian teammates.
But the right-arm quick quickly won acceptance from his Australian teammates when he claimed 3-59 on debut in Hyderabad, when he removed Tendulkar and bowled well at the close to help clinch a narrow Australian win.
"I am a lot more confident in my own ability now," he said.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment