Robert Key is "quietly hopeful" he will be named in the England squad for the Ashes decider against Australia at The Oval.
Kent skipper eagerly awaiting squad announcement
Kent captain Robert Key is "quietly hopeful" he will be named in the England squad for the Ashes decider against Australia at The Oval.
The selectors will announce their squad for the fifth Test on Sunday morning,
live on
Sky Sports News from 9.30am, with Key one of several names being lined up as a possible replacement for Ravi Bopara.
Bopara and Warwickshire's Ian Bell have come under serious pressure due to their lack of runs in the series so far, and Key admits he would relish the opportunity to return to the Test arena.
"To have the chance of helping England win the Ashes would be a wonderful opportunity, especially for someone like me who has been out of the Test side for while," he told
The Sun.
"The older you get, the more you wonder if these chances will come along again. So to be picked would be fantastic.
"There's no way I thought I'd play when the Ashes series started. I suppose you could say I'm quietly hopeful.
No problem
"One of the selectors, Jimmy Whitaker, saw me make 90 against Northants - and you hear people mentioning your name. But the selectors keep their cards close to their chests."
It has been reported that Key has a difficult relationship with England coach Andy Flower and that it could count against him earning a recall.
However, the 30-year-old insists there is no problem between him and the national boss.
"If Andy Flower has some issues with me, I haven't heard them. It would be a shame and I hope it's not the case. I certainly don't have issues with him," he said.
"I was down to bat three in the first game of the World Cup but Luke Wright and Ravi batted until the 11th over so I was pushed down the order for the big hitters.
"It was the right decision but it meant the one chance I had of banging out 70 or 80 and getting myself a gig didn't materialise.
"I've scored some runs and now feel I'm playing like I was when I last played for England a few years ago."
