Australia pin Hopes on new allrounder

The all-round aggression of James Hopes won him a New Zealand tour spot © Getty Images Enlarge

James Hopes, the surprise new Australia allrounder, was worried about keeping his Queensland place at the beginning of the season when Shane Watson returned from Tasmania. But Hopes survived the danger and grabbed Watson's spot after his teammate dropped out of contention for the New Zealand one-day tour with a side strain.

A 26-year-old golf lover, Hopes was stunned to hear of his call-up from Michael Brown, Cricket Australia's operations manager, and celebrated his first couple of minutes as an Australia representative in silence. "I didn't say a word and he said, `You don't seem very impressed', and I said, `I'm just shocked," Hopes said. His nearest and dearest, his father and girlfriend, didn't believe it either.

Hopes made his debut for Australia A this season after finally turning his potential into regular substance with 513 runs and 13 wickets in the Pura Cup and 291 and 11 in the ING competition. A stroke-playing batsman and brisk medium-pacer, Hopes made his Queensland one-day debut in 2001 and was spruiked as a future international even as he fought to hold a state place.

"I got to play for Queensland by the way I play in club cricket which is being fairly aggressive, batting and bowling," Hopes told The Australian. "I never trusted that I could do that at the next level, but Terry Oliver [the Queensland coach] put that trust in me and over the last season-and-a-half I've turned around. People can say what they want about the way I play, but I'm not going to change."

While Hopes was disappointed to miss the end to Queensland's season and make up for the disappointing ING Cup final loss last season, he said he did not want to be limited to New Zealand dressing rooms. "If I do get a game I want to do well and actually contribute to a win in some way," he said. The first ODI is on February 19 at Wellington.