Bancroft embracing Australian initiation

Australia's long-held (albeit unofficial) tradition of throwing their new young batsman into the most dangerous position on the field will continue when the Magellan Ashes Series gets underway this week.

Only this time, debutant Cameron Bancroft will be a willing participant in the initiation ritual for the newest man in Baggy Green.

Not since David Boon retired more than two decades ago has Australia selected a man who has so embraced pulling on the helmet and taking on the hazardous task of standing mere metres away from the opposing batsmen.

A part-time wicketkeeper at domestic and underage level, Bancroft has also developed into the best close-in fielder in the country. Spinner Steve O'Keefe has even gone so far as to label him "probably the best bat-pad I've ever seen".

But Bancroft says he wasn't always so enthusiastic to go 'under the lid'.

"Being the youngest bloke in the squad you get chucked in at bat-pad, don't you," he said of his early days at Western Australia.

"I think at the start I just did the role because I was the youngest player in the side.

"Then I took a couple of really good chances ... and thought there's probably no one in the world who sits there and goes 'I want to be really good at this'.

"I remember a couple of years ago at the cricket academy, I really worked hard on it and I set myself a goal to be really good in that position. I've embraced the challenge."

The centre of a major Ashes flashpoint four years ago – a heated conversation between Australia’s short leg George Bailey and England tail-ender Jimmy Anderson led to Michael Clarke’s infamous “broken “f***ing arm” sledge – close-in fielding remains one of the most undervalued arts in the game, requiring an instinctive mix of soft hands, sharp reflexes and often reckless courage.

Boon and West Indian legend Gus Logie are the most famous exponents of the craft, while the dominance of subcontinental spinners on home pitches has led, almost naturally, to the emergence of some sharp close-in fielders out of Asia.

But since Boon moved on in 1996, the position has mostly been a revolving door of fresh-faced Australian batsmen, each as keen as each other to hand off the task when a new member comes into the side.

Which is all totally understandable; almost three years to the day since the tragic passing of former teammate Phillip Hughes, this playing group knows better than most just how dangerous the role can be.

Former Test opener Chris Rogers assumed the position early in his second incarnation as a Test player, but after copping a nasty blow to the head just weeks after Hughes passed away, he was unsurprisingly keen to move further away from the bat.

"At 37, fielding at short leg you're thinking, 'What the hell am I doing here?'," Rogers said in late 2014 after copping the full force of a sweep shot from Rohit Sharma in Brisbane.

"It's one of those necessary rules; you have to get in there. But preferably I don't want to be in there if I don't have to."

Bancroft agrees that actively enjoying the role and embracing the challenge is crucial to being able to ignore the natural fear factor.

But he concedes luck is as much a factor in his success as his instinctive reflexes and blind courage.

"I have fun doing it," he said.

"I feel like you're always in the game and I love the prospect of being able to make a difference in the game by taking a catch or stopping a run that gets flicked and it hits you. It's just a challenge I embrace.

"There's no easy catch and sometimes the ball just lands in your lap or it lands in your hands and you don't even realise. There's a lot of luck involved, it's all reaction.

"Wicketkeeping a bit helps my ability to stay low and things like that. But apart from that, it's a very lucky position."

2017-18 International Fixtures:

Magellan Ashes Series

First Test Gabba, November 23-27. Buy tickets

Second Test Adelaide Oval, December 2-6 (Day-Night). Buy tickets

Third Test WACA Ground, December 14-18. Buy tickets

Fourth Test MCG, December 26-30. Buy tickets

Fifth Test SCG, January 4-8 (Pink Test). Buy tickets

Gillette ODI Series v England

First ODI MCG, January 14. Buy tickets

Second ODI Gabba, January 19. Buy tickets

Third ODI SCG, January 21. Buy tickets

Fourth ODI Adelaide Oval, January 26. Buy tickets

Fifth ODI Perth TBC, January 28. Join the ACF

Prime Minister's XI

PM's XI v England Manuka Oval, February 2. Buy tickets

Gillette T20 INTL Series

First T20I Australia v NZ, SCG, February 3. Buy tickets

Second T20I – Australia v England, Blundstone Arena, February 7. Buy tickets

Third T20I – Australia v England, MCG, February 10. Buy tickets

Fourth T20I – NZ v England, Wellington, February 13

Fifth T20I – NZ v Australia, Eden Park, February 16

Sixth T20I – NZ v England, Seddon Park, February 18

Final – TBC, Eden Park, February 21