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WTC Final: Boland raring and ready if selected over Hazlewood
Lachlan Geleit • June 10th, 2025 11:20 am
Scott Boland still isn’t sure whether he’ll be playing in Wednesday’s World Test Championship at Lord’s.
While the 36-year-old played in Australia’s last Test against India in Sydney where he took 10 wickets for the match, he could be dropped for the decider with Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc certainties to be selected and Josh Hazlewood back fit and firing.
If selection doesn’t go his way, Boland says he’ll quickly turn his attention to the upcoming three-Test tour of the West Indies which begins later this month.
“Everyone is pumped for it… I'll be ready to play if selection goes my way,” Boland told SEN Cricket.
“At the moment I'm not sure, but it does always seem to be between me and Josh.
“It is a good thing to be compared to him, even though I'm a bit older than him, he's one of the best bowlers Australia's had, so that’s nice, but I think we will be in the same boat.
“We just prepare as if we're going to play, and then if it doesn't go my way, then I'll sort of flick my mind a little bit to West Indies and try and make sure my prep's right for there as well.”
After playing a key role in the last World Test Championship Final win with five wickets against India at The Oval in 2023, Boland went on to have an average Ashes campaign that summer in the UK, taking just two wickets from two games.
With three Tests of experience under his belt in the UK, Boland wants to tweak some things if he gets an opportunity this time around.
“I think I'm definitely a better bowler now,” Boland said.
“I think that was probably the first real crack I had at a Dukes ball in English conditions, so I obviously learned a lot from that.
“I think my game plan is 90% the same as Australia, but I sort of want to tweak a couple of little things.
“I'm pumped. Hopefully, it does go my way. I'm really keen to get out of here with Pat and all those guys, so, hopefully, it goes my way, and we can lift the mace on Day 3, 4 or 5.”
The WTC gets underway this Wednesday, June 11 from 8pm AEST and SEN will be streaming the entire Test.
