Michael Carberry says he now has his sights set firmly on helping England win the Ashes after scoring an impressive 78 in the first innings of the warm-up match against the WA Chairman’s XI.
The Hampshire batsman showed all his class at the WACA, outscoring regular opener Joe Root, who could only manage 36, to stake his claim for a place in the starting team for the first Test in Brisbane.
The 33-year-old has had a rather truncated international career, regularly featuring for the England Lions but has never really made an impact at full level, with his only Test cap coming against Bangladesh in 2010.
However, he has become more of regular face in the camp in recent months, playing in the recent ODIs with Ireland and Australia and his form from the County Championship seems to have followed him Down Under.
Carberry’s ability to both open the batting and play down the order means he could prove to be a vital asset to Alistair Cook and Andy Flower and he believes he would rise to the challenge of walking out in Brisbane on November 21.
“I think there’s still a long way to go. I was pretty upset to get out at 78 but obviously I’ll try and put that right in the next innings,” he told Sky Sports. “All you can do really is take your chances when they come and hopefully you’ll keep nudging the selectors a little bit.
“We’ll see what happens when it comes to selecting the Test side. I’ll bat anywhere and I’d like to get the opportunity wherever it may be, whether it’s at the top or at number six.”
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