Australian cricketer Brad Hodge delighted with the national call-up

Brad Hodge

The 39-year-old Australian batsman Brad Hodge has said that he aims to seal a spot in the side ahead of the upcoming Twenty20 World Cup in Bangladesh after receiving a surprise call-up to be a part of the T20 outfit for the game against England at Melbourne on Friday.

Hodge had last represented Australia in 2008 in a Test match against West Indies at Jamaica but has recently performed exceptionally well for the Melbourne Stars in T20s to earn the call-up.

Buoyed by his inclusion in the side, Hodge said: “My lead-up was Big Bash and Indian Premier League (IPL), but I guess that will have to change a little now. It certainly becomes a realistic possibility, if not a goal. So it’s definitely something to work towards.”

Hodge, whose international career looked all but over until the surprise call up, is one of the only three batsmen to have scored over 5,000 runs in T20 cricket, with an overall aggregate of 5,844 runs.

He further joked about saving the phone number of John Inverarity, the Chairman of Australia’s selectors.

Although the call-up to the national side has been late, Hodge has no doubts over his ability to play at the highest level.

“I’ve probably had the game for a long time and don’t need to call on anything else other than experience to know what to do. It’s nice to be able to get into the group again and feel what it’s like. It’s a nice pleasant surprise to get back and see a few new faces,” said Hodge.

The T20 veteran is unsure of whether he will feature in Friday’s game against England as he has still not been informed of his role in the squad. He will probably be replacing Moises Henriques.

“No idea, I was pretty good at running the drinks in the 2005 Ashes series, so maybe my drinks form has gotten me another game. I’m not sure [why it has happened now]. Maybe it’s team make-up or the way things fit in. I’ve changed my role … over the last couple of years, maybe that’s helped,” said Hodge.

“It’s a welcome change and I’m excited about it. I’ve been sending out reminders for a fair time now. I definitely felt if things didn’t happen before, they certainly weren’t going to happen now. But it’s a new regime with new sights, it’s come my way and it’s very pleasing.”

Hodge, who has played almost all around the globe including the Bangladeshi outfit Barisal Burners, hopes that his experience will add value to the team.

“I feel no matter what side I play for I can always contribute and with experience and knowledge … there are other ways to contribute, too,” concluded Hodge.