Suffolk cricket star Reece Topley has revealed he is hungrier than ever to be part of England’s World Cup squad this autumn after injury heartbreak denied him a part of last year’s T20 triumph in Australia.
The Ipswich-born left-arm seamer suffered an ankle injury tripping on a boundary rope on the eve of the T20 World Cup in October last year, before being dealt a further blow when his stint in the IPL was cut short following a dislocated shoulder.
But the 29-year-old Surrey star insists the pair of setbacks have only made him more determined to ensure he is on the plane to India as England seek to defend the title they won four years ago.
"The World Cup later this year is something I am really looking forward to after missing the last one on the night before the start of the tournament," he said. "It was obviously gutting but there is another one right around the corner.
"That is on the horizon and something that is very much in the forefront of my mind.
"It is unfortunate I had a big injury in October and I had another injury at the IPL, it’s very unfortunate but they are two things that can’t really be helped.
"It’s not like I was unfit or not conditioned well, it was two impact injuries that couldn’t really be avoided.
"It makes you hungry to get back out there, when you are sidelined for such a long time you can’t wait to get back out there. If you want to play with the best you have to show a good mindset and get back out there.
"It is one thing knowing how to get through an injury, but an important question to ask yourself is what other option is there? You have to get your head down and just work your socks off.
"I haven’t really started my summer yet, I am a bit behind everyone else, but rehab is coming along well, and I am looking at playing in the not-too-distant future which is quite exciting. I will comfortably be ready for The Hundred in July.
“Everything this summer for me is leading up to hopefully contributing to winning another World Cup.”
Topley was in blistering form heading into last year’s World Cup and earned a first move to the IPL at the start of the year with Royal Challengers Bangalore.
And despite a heavily truncated time out in India due to injury, he revealed his short stint gave him a taste for more cricket on the subcontinent.
“At the IPL I had a small experience of what it is like over there, and to have a World Cup there is going to be an unbelievable event.,” added Topley, who was speaking at the charity’s National Table Cricket Finals Day at Lord’s.
“What better place to have it?
“For someone like myself who is predominantly in white ball cricket, the IPL is the biggest event in the white ball calendar.
“It is something that I would love to be involved with again, I had a taste and I definitely want more.
"It’s where you test your skills against very talented individuals and it is a sporting event that has so many eyes on it, you really feel the vast size when you are out there playing in it, you can’t really compare it to anything else. It’s exciting, I was nervous, but I want more.”
– The Lord’s Taverners impacts the lives of young people facing the challenges of inequality. The charity works across the UK and beyond to provide inclusive and impactful cricket programmes, empowering young people with disabilities and from disadvantaged communities – visit www.lordstaverners.org
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