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Nevill shock at World T20 selection

Wicketkeeper Peter Nevill was surprised by his selection in Australia's squad for the World Twenty20 in India which gets underway next month

Peter Nevill has admitted that his selection in Australia’s 15-man World Twenty20 squad came as a shock.

Nevill was a surprise inclusion in the squad for the showpiece event, with the Test gloveman yet to make his international limited-overs debut.

When the squad was announced last week, National Selector Rod Marsh said although the selection panel regarded incumbent T20 wicketkeeper Matthew Wade as a more destructive batsman, they had instead opted for Nevill because of his sharper glovework.

WATCH: Nevill takes a blinder in the first Test in New Zealand

The 30 year old was nevertheless taken aback by his selection for the tournament, to be held in India next month.

“I certainly wasn’t expecting that call from Rod Marsh,” Nevill told Crocmedia on Wednesday.

“I was expecting to play Sheffield Shield cricket for the rest of the season so it can change pretty quickly.

“It will obviously be an amazing experience to represent your country at a World Cup.”

Quick Single: Australia's road to the World T20, so far

Wade and Nevill are no strangers to vying for a single ‘keeping spot. Nevill left his home state of Victoria in part because of Wade’s presence in the Bushrangers’ team, while the pair have spent the past two seasons at the same KFC Big Bash League team, the Melbourne Renegades.

But Nevill, who now calls New South Wales home, stressed that his selection over Wade for the World T20 was just “part and parcel of being a cricketer”.

“I haven’t spoken to Matthew yet but that’s really the domain of the selectors,” Nevill said.

“Sometimes selections will go with you and sometimes they will go against you so that’s just the nature of the beast.”

Meanwhile, Australia’s focus remains on the current Qantas Tour of New Zealand, as they look to claim the No.1 Test ranking spot with a series victory.

Taking a one-nil lead into the second Test in Christchurch, the tourists are expecting the Hagley Oval pitch to possess a decent covering of grass.

With batting collapses on seaming wickets at Egbaston and Trent Bridge during last year’s Ashes series still fresh in his teammates’ minds, Nevill explained that they had taken some positives from their struggles in England.

WATCH: Nevill makes a fighting fifty in Egbaston

“I think a lot of our guys learnt some valuable lessons from the Ashes when we had some pretty lively wickets,” Nevill said.

“Our batting since then and particularly during the home summer and in to this first test has been really strong.

“I think it was a time where we turned over a new leaf really.

“We had a lot of personnel change but we’ve had a steady team for a while now and it’s starting to feel like a really settled group.

“It’s a wonderful feeling around the group and we enjoy each other’s company and it’s obviously easy to do that when you are having some success.”