By Daniel Lane
Former Test quick Mike Whitney has urged Josh Hazlewood to use Sunday's domestic one-day match against Victoria at the paceman's graveyard that is North Sydney Oval to prove that he really belongs in the national team.
Hazlewood has started the summer with a bang. He took seven wickets in the state's opening match of the domestic one-day tournament with seven wickets against South Australia.
Ready for the big time: Australian fast bowler Josh Hazlewood.Credit: Getty Images
Whitney, who described himself as an unabashed admirer of the paceman, said now there was talk Hazlewood was being viewed favourably by the Australian selectors he had to perform on one of the toughest places for a player – North Sydney Oval.
"North Sydney is a nightmare oval," said Whitney, a former Test bowler, while reliving his own efforts there 20-odd-years-ago. "The batsman only needs to get one through the field and it's away.
"My calculations before a one-day match were normally if I bowled 10 overs I wanted to go three runs an over, that was my mark. At North Sydney, you needed to concede it could be four an over ... the outfield there is beautiful, the pitch is good for batsmen and there's also the short boundaries."
Whitney, who was used during the winter by Rabbitohs coach Michael Maguire to help motivate NRL premiers South Sydney, said Hazlewood could prove to the national selectors that he was ready for another crack at the national team – he has played twice for the one-day team and in four T20 internationals – by fighting for wickets on a ground that had traditionally broken bowlers' spirits and hearts.
"He's a monster of a kid," he said. "The only thing that Josh Hazlewood needs to do is believe in himself – it's all he has got to do.
"He has everything. I think he's worked really hard on his fitness and he's done well enough for him to say 'I can do well at this level' ... he's just got to step it up; belief and mental toughness, continue to hone that mental toughness.
"He has all the goods, the height, the pace, it's just that genuine belief ... 'I'm I fit and flexible enough' ... getting to that next level will be through that mental toughness and confidence.
"I like him a lot. I'm a big supporter and I want to see him reach the top and fulfil what we all see in him."
Hazlewood told Fairfax Media he intended to capitalise on what had been a dream start to his summer when he runs in against the Victorians.
While he is determined to represent Australia after his international career was frustrated by injuries, he realised his best chance to make an impression was by performing for the Blues.
"Everything has gone my way so far," he said of the start of his campaign. "It feels great having the ball in hand, it's coming out really well. We've also bowled well, we have a lot of great players in the squad and the return of Pat Cummins is tremendous.
"I want to keep putting my name up there for the [national] selectors. My body is good, I feel confident running in, I have to keep hitting wickets. It's what I have to do, being a strike bowler.
"Getting back into the Australian team is a driving force but winning games for NSW is the key at the moment. That's my main job at the moment."