'No regrets': Absent Sams eyes finishing role for Aussies

Daniel Sams understands he took a calculated gamble by opting out of the current T20 series against the West Indies but remains hopeful it won't preclude him from being considered for Australia's squad at the T20 World Cup later this year.

Sams made the call to withdraw from the Qantas Tour of the West Indies having spent the previous summer in bio-security 'bubbles' with Australia and New South Wales teams, Sydney Thunder in the KFC BBL and Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian Premier League.

Having tested positive to COVID-19 before the IPL began last April, and then forced into quarantine in the Maldives and upon his return home when the tournament was suspended in May, the 28-year-old knew he needed to "reconnect" with wife Danii rather than travel to the Caribbean.

In his absence, fellow seam-bowling allrounders Mitchell Marsh, Dan Christian and Moises Henriques have an opportunity to further push their claims for the World Cup that begins in the UAE in October.

But while Sams acknowledges he's been watching coverage of the West Indies campaign with some envy, he holds no misgivings about choosing to spend this time at home in Sydney even if it has landed him another bout of lockdown.

"I don't have any regrets," he said today despite forfeiting his place in the Australia T20 set-up that he earned last summer.

"Obviously I've had thoughts of, 'I wish I was there' but in the end I made the decision that's best for me long-term.

"My relationship with Danii is the most important thing and one of the biggest reasons of me pulling out was so I can connect back in with Danii because we haven't been apart for that long ever.

"So that was definitely a priority, and my mental health as well.

"Basically I made the decision to come home so I can be good long-term, where potentially if I went (to the Caribbean) I'd be no good for the summer, for potential World Cup chances, for BBL, for other stuff.

"Obviously I'd love to be over there but I think it was the best decision for me and my family."

Sams, who played four T20Is for Australia against India and New Zealand last summer, has been eyeing an international berth since the ICC first announced several years ago they planned to host back-to-back T20 World Cups.

But with the global pandemic forcing a postponement in the timings, the left-armer concedes that should he miss selection for the 2021 event (originally to have been held in India) he will switch his focus to the following year's tournament to be staged in Australia.

Sams is yet to decide whether he will return for RCB at the resumption of this year's IPL – to be staged in the UAE immediately prior to the T20 World Cup – but he's also mindful of the conflict it poses with NSW's pre-season program and will make a decision "in the next week or so".

The recent comments from Australia's white-ball skipper Aaron Finch, noting players who chose not to take part in the West Indies tour and the subsequent scheduled campaign in Bangladesh would "find it hard to justify" playing the second half of the IPL, caught Sams' eye.

While admitting he understood Finch's point that national representation needed to take precedence over franchise involvement, Sams added that players in the reconvened IPL would be playing high-level T20 matches in the same UAE conditions as the subsequent T20 World Cup.

"I one hundred per cent definitely understand where he (Finch) is coming from," Sams said.

"Choosing not to go on this international tour for whatever the reasons were, and then choosing to go back to the IPL which potentially sacrifices some of the state commitments that are made and whatever (Australia) commitments there are leading up to the World Cup.

"That's definitely something to be considered, but there's two ways to think of it.

"If you go to the back end of the IPL there's T20 cricket that you'll be playing, so you'll be going into the World Cup on the back of playing all these T20 games."

But while eyeing the packed playing schedule over the coming months, Sams is also mindful of the mental toll upon players as they shuttle from one 'bubble' to the next which will be a fact of professional cricket life for the foreseeable future.

He said the prospect of re-entering the isolation of biosecurity hubs has played on his mind and he has devoted significant time to formulating strategies on how best he can cope while ensuring his playing performance is not compromised.

"'It's definitely something that we're not so much going to have to get comfortable with, but get used to and then figure out plans and ways to manage yourself," Sams said of 'bubble' life.

"If that means you're going to have to take some time off, then you have to take some time off, or if it means you need to work with someone constantly.

"That's something I've been thinking about and I'm wanting to put some things in place – and I'm not quite sure what it's going to look like yet – but to be able to manage myself while in those bubbles."

Prior to entering the current Sydney lockdown, Sams had thrown himself into pre-season training with NSW but has taken a few opportunities to watch the T20 series in the West Indies where Marsh has been starring with bat and ball.

He's also noted Australia's ongoing search for a late-innings 'finisher' with the bat, with the role so far filled by Christian (at number seven) as well as specialist batters Ben McDermott and Ashton Turner (at six) without anyone having stamped their mark on the position.

Sams, who clubbed a memorable 41 from 15 balls to almost lift Australia to an improbable win against NZ at Dunedin last February, believes he can fill that vexed berth in addition to offering the team a vital bowling option with his left-arm seamers.

"There's been a lot of talk about that finisher role and that's something I feel I could potentially do," he said.

"There's a few players that are gunning for that role, whether they're allrounders or more the batting style but probably (number) seven or six, filling that role and obviously being able to bowl as well.

"Me being me, I'd like to bat as high as possible but being realistic for the Aussie team (probably) batting seven."