Worker eyes comeback after strong English summer
With a prolific 2016-17 domestic season and now an impressive summer in England, George Worker is eager to return to the international side after missing out on the Champions Trophy
ESPNcricinfo staff
19-Sep-2017
George Worker spent the English summer representing Knowle and Dorridge Cricket Club in the Birmingham Premier League • AFP
As New Zealand's limited-overs tour of India comes closer, George Worker is looking to push for a place in the squad after he followed a prolific 2016-17 domestic season with an impressive club season in England.
Worker, who is currently touring India with the New Zealand A side, was the highest run-scorer in New Zealand's domestic one-day competition last summer with 659 runs in 10 games at an average of 82.37. Even though that earned him a recall to the ODI side after nearly two years for two matches in the tri-series against Ireland and Bangladesh in May, he was left out of the Champions Trophy squad the next month.
"I guess there's a few spots available for that ODI tour after the A tour," Worker told stuff.co.nz. "I won't be worrying about it. I'll be going out there trying to perform and carry on my good form like I have over the last couple of seasons."
Worker, 28, hasn't been able to nail down his spot in New Zealand's limited-overs side after his ODI debut against South Africa in 2015. He has played only four ODIs and two T20Is, with one half-century in each of the formats.
During the English summer this year, Worker represented Knowle and Dorridge Cricket Club in the Birmingham Premier League. He scored 1569 runs, including nine centuries, at an average of 142.64 in 15 innings during his stint. Having accounted for 28 dismissals at an average of 12.75 in the league, including his best figures of 7 for 32, Worker's left-arm spin could further strengthen his case for a place in the limited-overs side for the conditions in India.
"Hopefully, I'll just have to see. The conditions will be favourable to a bit of spin," Worker said. "The standard of club cricket is pretty good. It's renowned as the best in England.
"The one thing that helped me was the pitches were good. You come across wickets that are a bit green and a bit wet and you have these slow dibbly-dobbly bowlers. It does make a difference because the wickets are good."
Worker was prolific with the bat in New Zealand's first-class competition too - the Plunket Shield - last summer, scoring 486 runs from eight innings at an average of 60.75, including four half-centuries and one hundred.