Sheffied Shield veteran says he still has plenty to offer after being dumped by South Australia for the 2016-17 summer
Cosgrove reveals shock at Redbacks axing
Mark Cosgrove has revealed his surprise at being dumped from South Australia's 2016-17 contract list after helping the Redbacks to their first Sheffield Shield final in two decades.
South Australia coach Jamie Siddons, along with high-performance manager Tim Nielsen, have repeatedly emphasised the state's focus on youth this season, a policy the 31-year-old Cosgrove said counted against him.
Injured batsman Callum Ferguson, also 31 years of age, is the only contracted Redback over 30 for next season. Cosgrove, Tom Cooper (29) and Gary Putland (30) all made way for Jake Weatherald (21), Tom Andrews (21), Patrick Page (18) and Alex Carey (24).
Breakout years from fellow youngsters Travis Head (22), Jake Lehmann (23) and Alex Ross (24) who all made more than 600 Shield runs overshadowed Cosgrove's efforts, which yielded with 565 runs at 26.90 from SA's 11 matches.
But the opener's aptitude for seeing off the new ball this season, a trait SA coach Jamie Siddons commended in the lead-up to Sheffield Shield final, was an important factor in helping the Redbacks finish top of the Shield ladder and secure a spot in the final.
"I was picked for every (Sheffield Shield) game during the season," Cosgrove told cricket.com.au from the UK, where he is captaining Leicestershire for a second successive English season.
"It wasn't a great year (personally) but it wasn't disastrous by any stretch of the imagination.
"(Not getting an SA contract) definitely came as a surprise.
"Collectively, I thought we had a really good year. To make the Shield final for the first time in 20 years was a really positive sign."
Siddons didn't shy away from making tough calls in his first year at the helm of the Redbacks.
In February, he dropped underperforming senior players Cooper and wicketkeeper Tim Ludeman from their Shield side and said Cosgrove's place in the side also wasn't secure.
"Absolutely (Cosgrove is on notice) – all our players who aren't performing are on notice," Siddons said in February. "We're not afraid to drop senior players if they're not performing.
"(They) can't go through a season averaging 25 to 30 as a senior player. (It) is just not on. They're in the team to hold us together and win games for us and that means averaging 45 to 50."
In announcing SA's squad last week, Nielsen left the door ajar for Cosgrove's return to Redbacks through strong performances in Adelaide grade cricket.
But the former Australia coach indicated Cosgrove's decision to return to the UK was also a factor in his omission from the contract list.
Quick Single: Ruthless Redbacks reveal show their bite
Returning for his fifth County stint – his first three were with Glamorgan – Cosgrove, a dual Australian-British passport holder, insists he had no inkling resuming duties at Leicestershire would influence his chances of a Redbacks contract.
"Me going to England has been great for my cricket," Cosgrove said. "I love playing cricket, I want to play cricket all the time.
"(Playing in the UK) is something I've done for years and has held me in good stead most of the time.
"I'd be disappointed if that was part of the reason that I didn't get a contract (with SA).
"I definitely don't come back tired or exhausted from another (English) season.
"It gets me going when I get back to another Australian season. It's really good preparation for another season coming forth."
With little more than a fortnight between the Shield final – which South Australia lost to Victoria – and Leicestershire's first match, Cosgrove has had little time to mull over his options for the next Australian summer.
State Squad announcements: Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania, Queensland and Western Australia
And with all states but NSW so far confirming their contracted players for 2016-17, Cosgrove's options appear limited.
He is yet to decide if he'll pursue a recall to the Redback through grade cricket, or concentrate on plying his trade on the county circuit.
If 2015-16 was indeed his final season in the Sheffield Shield then Cosgrove, who played three ODIs in 2006, would go out as one of Australia's most prolific first-class batsman never to play a Test.
In 14 seasons, ten with South Australia and four with Tasmania, he notched 7,308 Sheffield Shield runs, leaving him the seventh-highest run-scorer among players to have not donned the Baggy Green.
Most Sheffield Shield runs without a Test
Image Id: ~/media/16FA7FE0042442968021B4094B6B808DThe 31-year-old is also the leading Sheffield Shield run-scorer among current players, with Western Australia pair Adam Voges (7278 Shield runs) and Michael Klinger (7267 runs) the next highest.
He is firm in his belief he still has much to offer the young group from lessons learned in a career that has so far yielded 11,399 runs in 166 first-class matches.
And Cosgrove, a croweater through-and-through, is excited for the future of South Australian cricket.
Quick Single: Shield final here to stay
"It's great to have very talented young kids like South Australia does," Cosgrove said. "But you do need a bit of experience around them.
"Hopefully they get it because there are some really talented cricketers there.
"They've got a big future for both South Australia and Australia.
"(The Redbacks) are definitely going in the right direction. You look at the results, we made the (Matador Cup) one-day final, the Sheffield Shield final this season.
"They're definitely making some good strides forward so it'd be good for that continue.
"Now we want to able to win the Shield final and not just make it.
"The big thing for SA cricket is making sure that it wasn't just one season of decent cricket, we have to back it up like Victoria and other states do."