Patient Bollinger happy to wait

Doug Bollinger is getting used to playing the part of the frustrated tourist after visiting the Caribbean, India and South Africa in the past year without breaking into the side. His only Test came at the SCG in January but he then had to watch on during the tour of South Africa as Ben Hilfenhaus leapfrogged him in the Test ranks.

However, another chance has presented itself for Bollinger, who was named in the one-day squad to play Pakistan in the UAE after the team medicos ruled Brett Lee was not yet fit enough to resume. Bollinger still may not be part of the starting line-up for the limited-overs series but he has taken heart from the fact that Lee was in a similar situation earlier in his career.

"It is frustrating and it can be disappointing but I just think in the back of my mind that Brett Lee had to wait for 18 months before he got another gig," Bollinger told reporters at the SCG on Thursday. "I'm just happy to be around it and happy to be around the environment. It's been great so far so it's been really enjoyable."

Despite being a long-term Test backup, Bollinger hadn't been viewed in the same way by the selectors for the shorter formats. But the decision to rest Mitchell Johnson and Peter Siddle, combined with injuries to Lee and Brett Geeves, opened a door for Bollinger, who has a domestic one-day hat-trick to his name.

Bollinger has spent plenty of time recently losing weight and getting fitter and stronger thanks to a boxing training regime. The aim is to give himself the best possible chance of going on the Ashes tour, where there is likely to be extra competition for fast-bowling spots with Lee and Stuart Clark both to be considered after missing the series in South Africa.

"I just want to do well and hopefully that can get me the nod on the Ashes trip because that's probably the trip to go on," Bollinger said. "Those things are hopefully on the horizon and just go from there. It just depends on what happens. But if I don't make it, I don't make it. I'll try and do a county stint for as long as I can and just go from there."