Peter George looks to Queensland for revival

Australian seamer Peter George still harbours hopes of playing for the country, two months after he lost a state contract with South Australia. George, who played one Test against India in 2010, was confident that his proposed move to Queensland would revive his stalled professional career, which began in 2008.

"I definitely still aspire to play for Australia again,'' George told the Daily Telegraph. "The dream was always to earn that Baggy Green, I cherish the fact that I played for Australia and now my dream is to earn the right to wear it again in a Test match. I still have belief in myself and believe with hard work and the right attitude that I can still get back to the top of the tree."

George picked up two wickets on his only international outing, including the prized scalp of Sachin Tendulkar. George took 134 first-class wickets for South Australia in 41 Sheffield Shield games between 2008 and 2013, but he never got a chance to represent Australia again. His first-class career suffered a blow last year after George fell out of favour with the South Australia coach Darren Berry.

"The feedback was that they didn't feel I was bowling at my best and that I could have got more out of my bowling over the past couple of seasons," he said. "I am happy to accept that and am always looking at ways to improve. There are different arguments to be had on both sides but the bottom line is that I did not force them to pick me through performance."

Despite his exit, George insisted he did not hold any grudges towards the South Australia Cricket Association, and that he was optimistic of making a comeback under the guidance of the Queensland coach Stuart Law. Though George has no guarantees of a contract with Queensland, he has been invited to train with the squad and play in the team's pre-season matches.

"There are no promises but this is a really good opportunity for me,'' George said. "The coach Stuart Law is really keen to have me train with them and really positive that if I bowl well I could earn a state call-up.

"I absolutely loved every opportunity I had to play for South Australia but you need to accept that the current situation in Australian domestic cricket is that it's not State-of-Origin. Players go where they get the best opportunity and I feel like I still can be playing first-class cricket or higher, so I'm looking forward to pursuing that opportunity.

"I've been around long enough and seen enough to know that if you are in the right place at the right time things can quickly turn around for you."