Image courtesy of: The Telegraph
“I wouldn’t say it was just nerves. Technically, it didn’t click”
England left-arm spinner Simon Kerrigan has vowed to regain his spot in the national team after a brutal Test debut that saw him give away 53 runs off eight overs.
Kerrigan was all smiles as he was presented with his Test cap at The Oval, however, the smile was quickly wiped off his face as Australian all-rounder Shane Watson absolutely hammered him all over the ground.
Kerrigan surprised all the England fans as well as he bowled numerous full tosses and long hops which Australia took full advantage of.
Having given away so many runs in the first innings, Kerrigan was not given the ball again by captain Alastair Cook and the 24-year-old admitted that it took a few days for him to get over his shocking debut.
“I’m my own biggest critic and I was really disappointed with how it went,” Kerrigan told BBC Radio Lancashire. “I was feeling sorry for myself for a couple of days, but getting back into things straight away with Lancashire helped.
“Andy Flower took me to one side and said ‘you are far better off having the experience you’ve had now rather than getting a go in four or five years, and it would be an even greater story if you bounced back from it and had a prospering Test career’.
“As long as I keep an energy about myself, wanting to get better – an experience like that drives you on to get better, get back into the side and, if you get another chance, prove what you can do.”
Despite receiving some consoling words from Flower, Kerrigan refuses to attribute his horrendous debut to the commonly used excuse of first-game nerves.
“I tried to rely on the times where I’ve been nervous but also come out of the other side and done really well from that,” he said. “I wouldn’t say it was just nerves. Technically, it didn’t click. That’s what happens with young spinners. I’m 24, still learning my action and still learning the game.”