Tuesday 9 April 2019 12:33, UK
Steven Finn has said an England Test recall in time for the Ashes this summer is not currently on his mind, with his focus being returning to form and fitness for Middlesex.
Finn has picked up 125 wickets in 36 Tests, at an average of 30.40, and he played a big part in England regaining the Ashes on home soil four years ago, taking 6-79 in the first innings of the third Test win at Edgbaston.
But, Finn last played a Test for England in October 2016, in Bangladesh, with form and fitness seeing him slip back in the pecking order.
"I'm feeling like that [The Ashes] is not really on my mind at the moment," Finn told Sky Sports. "I have just come back from two knee surgeries.
"I got dropped before I got injured, so I can't feel hard done by at all. It's sport; you have to be quite philosophical about it, people get injured.
"I have great passion to play for England, I'd love to do so again - but it's going to take a lot of good performances for Middlesex in the meantime to be able to do that. I'm not expecting a phone call off Ed Smith any time soon."
Middlesex were relegated from Division One of the County Championship last year, but are hopeful a stacked seam bowling attack, featuring Finn, Toby Roland-Jones, James Harris, Tim Murtagh and young hopefuls Tom Helm and Ethan Bamber can ensure a swift return to the top tier.
It does, however, make Finn's job of nailing down a regular place in order to prove his international pedigree a lot tougher. But it's a challenge he's up for.
"You just look around the dressing room and there will always be someone who is a very good bowler, missing out. That is a good thing for us as a club," Finn adds.
"It certainly keeps you on your toes. You have to keep performing well, which is always a motivator.
"I'm very much looking forward to the summer. I'm feeling 100 per cent fit, which I haven't done for quite a while, so I'm pretty optimistic.
"The last couple of months have been building up to this point. I don't feel my knee when I'm moving around, I don't feel it when I'm bowling. The signs are pretty good.
"That is my motivation. To get back to being able to bowl quick and aggressively. Hopefully helping Middlesex win games of cricket could potentially put my name in the England hat, but it's not something that's really on my mind at the moment."
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