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Willey admits career is 'at the crossroads'

Scorchers' international recruit concedes his England Test hopes might have passed him by, saying he's lost sleep over the decision

David Willey admits he has all but given up on his dream of playing Test cricket for England as he prepares for his latest spell in the KFC Big Bash League with title-holders Perth Scorchers.

The 27-year-old allrounder will start his third season with the Scorchers when Justin Langer's team open their BBL|07 campaign against Sydney Sixers at the SCG on Saturday (December 23).

Willey has enjoyed a successful first two years in Perth, the left-armer's 17 wickets at a strike-rate of 17.64 helping the Scorchers to the semi-finals in 2015-16 and to their third title in  four years last summer.

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Willey's ability to swing the white ball early in the innings has seen him become an integral part of both his country's T20 and ODI squads.

But as England focus on attempting to win their first major international 50-over tournament when they host the 2019 World Cup, players such as Willey, Jos Buttler, Alex Hales and Liam Plunkett have been sidelined from Test selection and are now regarded by coach Trevor Bayliss as primarily white-ball specialists.

Willey had hoped the move from his native Northamptonshire to then County champions Yorkshire in the 2015 close season would enhance his ambitions of Test selection.

But an injury-hit first two northern summers at Headingley have seen him play just six first-class matches.

Now, as he watches his countrymen take on Australia in the Magellan Ashes, Willey admits it is unlikely he will emulate his father Peter, who played 26 Tests for England between 1976 and 1986. 

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"I think over the past couple of years, the way the scheduling is now it's difficult to play enough four-day cricket to put your name in the frame for Test cricket," Willey told cricket.com.au

"So, I'm at a real crossroads at the minute actually of whether I decide to pursue a career in Twenty20 cricket and one-day cricket and leave my dreams of Test cricket behind. 

"Certainly, two years ago I still had ambitions to play Test cricket. But right now, I'm at a real crossroads and I'll have some sleepless nights thinking about that.

"For me now it's thinking about my body, my family, how long I want to be away from home and not only that but what sort of a condition I want to leave myself in come the end of my career and how long I can play for. 

"They're all things I need to weigh up and yes it would be great to play Test cricket but I'm 27 now and how long would I play Test cricket for? Probably not that long. So, am I better off pursuing a career in the shorter formats?"

So highly is Willey rated in Perth that he is the Scorchers' sole overseas player for this summer's BBL and that is despite the fact he will only be available for the first six matches because of his involvement in England's Gillette One-Day Series against Australia in January.

"I'd like to walk away and watching the guys having left them at the top of the table hopefully having made a contribution to the side," said Willey.

"I don't think I'd even consider going anywhere else. It's brilliant here, I love playing for JL, there's a great group of guys here who all play for each other which is a massive strength – you've got a whole squad where everyone contributes throughout the competition and that's why we've been so successful."

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England are open at this stage to allowing Willey to return to the Scorchers at the end of the ODI series if they make the knockout stages of the BBL, something they have achieved every year so far.

There is a gap between the end of the ODIs and the start of the T20 Tri-Series between Australia, England and New Zealand that would allow it. 

But what are Willey's thoughts on the off-field problems revolving around late-night drinking that have beset England's Ashes tour so far?

"I think it's been massively overcooked by the press," he said.

"It's a shame really because, ultimately, they're guys representing their country and want to do well and perform. 

"So, it's a shame the distractions are about off-field stuff which at times has been absolutely nothing, they're making a story out of rubbish really." 

Willey does not believe the off-field controversies will have bothered the squad though, saying: "I think they're pretty happy to close out the noise really. They're a tight bunch, which is great. 

"In the past, they've probably not been so tight so I think that's really important, particularly when things aren't going quite as well as they'd like on the field. 

"Then the extra noise off the field doesn't help either so they'll just shut it off and focus on the task in hand. 

"It's a long winter for the guys. I think they've been out here six weeks already and some guys won't return to the UK until April so I think it's unreasonable for anybody to think they shouldn't be allowed to let their hair down at some stage. But the guys will just shut it off and get on with the cricket."

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