In-form O'Neill eyes higher honours through strong A tour

You won't find too many 25-year-olds with a better first-class record than Fergus O'Neill.

The seam bowler has picked up 200 wickets at an average of 19.34 since making his Sheffield Shield debut for Victoria just shy of four years ago.

Whether he's representing his state in Australia or Division One County Championship side Nottingham in the UK, O'Neill's form has him right on the cusp of international selection.

It comes at a time when the men's Test squad is in the midst of a gruelling schedule, with a minimum of 18 matches to come across the next 11 months.

Chief selector George Bailey informed O'Neill that he was in contention for a Test squad call-up last month, but the paceman isn't looking too far into the future.

"To be honest, it's not something I really think about," O'Neill said to cricket.com.au.

"I just want to play well for the given team that I'm selected for. I've got an Australia A game coming up and I've got to play well for them.

"After that, I've got some Victoria stuff coming up and I've got to play well for them too. If I'm doing that well then that's going to hold me in good stead for higher honours. 

"I don't really try and get too far ahead or read the press. I've just got to play well in the given conditions and the given climate that I'm in. From there, the rest will look after itself."

O'Neill is currently in Puducherry for the 'A' squad's two four-day games against India A, the first of those starting on Tuesday.

The first match will be his fifth for the team and 50th in first-class cricket.

Australia A four-day squad: Brendan Doggett, Jack Edwards, Peter Handscomb, Sam Harper, Liam Hatcher, Campbell Kellaway, Sam Konstas, Nathan McSweeney, Todd Murphy, Fergus O'Neill, Josh Philippe, Jhye Richardson, Corey Rocchiccioli, Jason Sangha, Liam Scott

The right-armer struggled in his only Australia A game in India to date despite having a phenomenal red-ball record.

It's a country he's keen to make an impression on having returned home with figures of 1-66 in the side's Lucknow fixture this time last year.

"It's obviously very different and I think maybe you just lower your expectations a little bit there," O'Neill said.

"You just try and find a way to contribute and maybe that looks like going at two or three an over and giving 'Toddy' (Australia A teammate Todd Murphy) a break, so that he can come in and go bang, bang, bang.

"I know he does that for us here with some of the pitches we've played on. He's given us a break so that we can cash in."

O'Neill has an idea of what to expect from the pitch, but he won't be surprised to find a different type of Indian wicket.

The Test prospect is not sure if Australia's upcoming five-match tour of India will throw up some unique circumstances for the 'A' squad.

"Maybe they don't want to show us any spinning conditions for the tour coming up and the pitch goes everywhere and I can cash in," O'Neill said.

"If it's what I'm expecting, it will be a good challenge. I'll probably have to have the keeper up for a bit of it and just try and be stump-to-stump.

"It's cool playing in foreign conditions and and places where you're maybe not as suited to test yourself out in that regard."

Since returning home in June from a county cricket stint that saw him claim 26 wickets at 16.38, taking his overall tally in England to 47 at 17.06, O'Neill took some time off to rest and reset ahead of the important 'A' series.

Once he resumed training, the 2024-25 Shield player of the season undertook a self-described "boot camp" throughout winter designed to improve his endurance, which is set to be tested in the subcontinent.

"I've been doing a bit of stuff with some speed work," O'Neill said. "To try and maybe run in a little bit faster and maintain that, which will hopefully correlate to some more wickets. That's the plan, anyway.

"I think the performance aspect of it will kind of be what it is, but there's definitely how it looks.

"Whether that just looks like you're bowling with more energy or you're less tired after a game, those kind of things are probably what I'm going to judge myself on a bit more, as opposed to whether I average 15 or 30.

"Obviously I'd rather average 15, but it's just trying to do a few extra things to give myself the best chance, I suppose. I'm presuming that if I do those things well, then the rest will look after itself."

While the focus will be on his performance with the ball, O'Neill is determined to remain a constant contributor with the bat.

Having averaged 57.00 for Notts in his county campaign, following his 472 runs at 35.50 last Shield season, the bowling allrounder has a lofty goal that could change the way he's seen throughout Australian cricket.

"I'd like to get the batting average up maybe closer to 30," O'Neill said, who currently averages 26.65 in first-class cricket.

"If I can chip in with the bat, my package as a player grows exponentially, so it's less about just being someone that can bowl and then put the feet up.

"I think if I can bowl and knock a couple of runs around that definitely helps in regards to selection for heaps of things.

"If your batting average is higher than your bowling average, then you're considered an allrounder, so I'll run with that for now... but I definitely think I've got to probably put a bit more time into my batting and be someone that's a good eight, not just a steady eight."

O'Neill has been joined by Ashes-winning pacemen Brendan Doggett and Jhye Richardson in India, who will also be eyeing further opportunities at Test level.

The strong 'A' side is set to be captained by the oldest and most experienced player in the squad, Peter Handscomb, who has not featured in international cricket (nor for Australia A) since playing every Test on the nation's last Border-Gavaskar Trophy tour in 2023.

Test-capped Nathan McSweeney, Sam Konstas and Murphy are all set to feature, as nine players from last year's Lucknow game return to the four-day group.

"It feels like you've got a little bit more to play for and it's a good reward to be playing with some of the best players from other states," O'Neill said.

"You're playing with a lot of serious players that either have represented their country or they're in the in the firing line to do so. It's not a token game. It's not a make-up game. It's a game that matters.

"I think the last few games I've played in for the A team have had a very strong side and we've had success with that strong side. Long may that continue and hopefully the other countries do the same."

O'Neill will return home following the second four-day game scheduled to finish on October 2.

He is expected to play in Victoria's first Shield game against reigning champions South Australia on October 7, in a rematch of last season's decider.

Australia A men's tour of India 2026

1st four-day: Sep 22-25, Puducherry, 2pm AEST

2nd four-day: Sep 29-Oct 2, Puducherry, 2pm AEST

1st one-day: Oct 6, Puducherry, 3pm AEDT

2nd one-day: Oct 9, Puducherry, 3pm AEDT

3rd one-day: Oct 11, Puducherry, 3pm AEDT