Veteran Klinger hungry for more silverware

Western Australian run-machine Michael Klinger says while he has not given up hope of a long-awaited Australian debut, his first priority is his state rather than targeting any particular international format or series.

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The Warriors batsman, who scored 1653 runs across all formats for Gloucestershire in England county cricket during the off-season, said he was first and foremost committed to helping his state replicate its success from 2014-15, when the Warriors won the Matador BBQs One-Day Cup and the Perth Scorchers triumphed in the KFC Big Bash League.

“I certainly still have aspirations (to play for Australia),” the 35-year-old told cricket.com.au.

“But I think it’s just important to keep enjoying my cricket and to keep playing well in all three formats.

“There were some articles a few weeks ago while I was in the UK, saying I was targeting the T20 World Cup, but to be honest – that’d be lovely – but it’s certainly not the case, it’s just about trying to do well in all the formats and if you’re helping your team win matches, then you’ll get noticed.”

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Klinger’s 2014-15 summer in Australia saw him finish second in the Sheffield Shield run scoring behind only state teammate Adam Voges with 1046 runs, including four hundreds.

Asked if he had had any conversations with Bupa Support Team Head Coach Darren Lehmann or other national selectors about what he needed to do to break into an Australian XI, Klinger said: “Not really, no - I think Australian cricket is going pretty well at the moment.

“If I can personally contribute again this year then hopefully I’ll get noticed, I’m hoping things may still happen down the track but if not, my main aim is to do well for Western Australia.”

One thing that Klinger can draw hope from is the case study of his Western Australian skipper – and fellow member of the 30-plus club - Voges, who broke into the Australian Test squad earlier this year following a stunning 2014-15 with the bat.

“It does give hope to anyone in the 30-plus category,” Klinger said.

“I think George Bailey also mentioned that the other day.

“But it will depend on which way the selectors want to go and whether they just select the guys playing best, or if they want to develop younger kids as well, which is fine too.

“In a way, you can just do what you can control and that’s helping Western Australia win games.”

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The Warriors’ chances of retaining the Matador One-Day Cup will certainly be boosted by Klinger’s recent form.

He captained Gloucestershire to victory in the final of the England domestic one-day cup last month and was subsequently named in the BBC’s team of the English county season.

A phenomenal limited-overs season saw the Gloucestershire captain plunder 531 runs in eight innings with three centuries and two fifties, while he also scored 634 runs from 12 innings with another three tons in England's domestic T20 tournament.

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Klinger dominated for Gloucester // Getty Images

Klinger also excelled in the longer form of the county game, scoring 468 runs at 46.8, including two centuries.

“That was brilliant,” Klinger said of the one-day cup win. “Being a smaller county in Gloucestershire, we were underdogs going in and we knocked off some big clubs in the quarters, semis and then the final.

“So that was a good story. It was nice to go reasonably well and help us win some games of cricket. That’s what I went over there to try and do.”

Now, his No.1 goal is to help the Warriors dominate in the Matador Cup and Sheffield Shield, where they will be boosted by the returns of Australian Test squad members Adam Voges, Mitchell Marsh, Shaun Marsh and Cameron Bancroft following the postponement of the Bangladesh tour.

“Hopefully I can personally perform well and help us first qualify for finals in all three formats, and then keep winning silverware,” he added.