Tigers go down Silk road as leadership roles emerge

Jordan Silk will use the opening stages of the Marsh One-Day Cup as an audition for potential future leadership roles after he was named Tasmania’s skipper for the first two games of the tournament.

Silk will captain the Tigers against Victoria (September 23) and Western Australia (September 25), with Tim Paine and Matthew Wade to be rested after Australia’s Ashes campaign.

The middle-order batter contributed 211 runs at 30.14, including two half-centuries, in last year’s 50-over domestic competition.

Rated as one of the best fielders in the country, Silk says he also aspires to lead Tasmania in the Sheffield Shield this season, should the opportunity arise.

Paine is Australia's Test captain while Wade is also a strong contender to feature at the start of the home Test summer. And with veteran George Bailey moving away from leadership duties – he handed the captaincy to Wade partway through last season and has spoken about how stepping back from the role has helped his game – there will likely be more captaincy opportunities at the Tigers this summer.

"If there’s an opportunity, I’d love to be able to put my hand up and say that I can do it," Silk said of his prospects of steering Tasmania in the four-day format.

"These first couple of games of one-day cricket are really important in my progression as a leader. I want to put my hand up and want to be able to do this going forward.

"I will almost treat it as a bit of an audition for maybe future events."

Silk said he would lean on the experienced players in the Tigers’ squad and seek input from the likes of Bailey, Alex Doolan, Jackson Bird and James Faulkner.

But don’t expect the 27-year-old to lead in the same manner as the combative Wade.

"I feel like I’m a leader through actions,” Silk said.

"For me, I feel like where I can lead best is probably in the field.

"There won’t be too much of the yelling towards the encouragement side of it.

"I’ll probably be just a bit more subtle in how I go about it and probably just go a bit more through actions."

Former Australia limited overs allrounder Faulkner is set to represent his state in the 50-over competition for the first time since October 2017.

A calf injury ruled him out of the one-day tournament last year and he looms as an important inclusion for the Tigers.

"He’s an exceptional cricketer with a fantastic record in both formats,” Silk said.

"I’d love to think off the back of a really good start to a one-day tournament, he’d be pushing for Shield selection.

"I’m not 100 per cent sure of where his body is at, but it’s a really good sign he’s just been away in England playing a heap of T20 cricket for Lancashire and now he’s back here and fully fit for the start of the one-day season.

"Hopefully with the progression in his workloads, he’s a really good option for us at the start of the Shield season."

Silk said Tasmania had a “really good mix” of youth and experience after losing last season’s final to Victoria.

Uncapped quartet Caleb Jewell, Jarrod Freeman, Alex Pyecroft and Nathan Ellis are all in line to make their debuts in coming weeks.

The Tigers also boast a strong bowling line-up, headlined by ever-consistent seamer Bird and emerging fast bowler Riley Meredith, while Gurinder Sandhu claimed 7-56, including a hat-trick, in last year’s decider.

Tasmania’s first two matches will be held at the WACA Ground in Perth, while the final will be staged on November 26.