Jake Doran has only just arrived in Tasmania for the start of a two-year contract but the teenage batting star says the door hasn’t closed at his home state of NSW.
When the 18-year old inked a deal with Cricket Tasmania in March, it ruffled feathers in Sydney, where coaching staff had nurtured the left hander from a young age and wanted him to remain.
But Doran, who started training with the Tigers at Bellerive this week, said relations with NSW are fine.
“I feel like I was up front and honest with them,” he told reporters on Tuesday.
“I’m still with the (Big Bash League side) Sydney Thunder this year as well so I still need to communicate with NSW and it will always be my home town.”
And while Cricket Tasmania want Doran to be a long-term prospect, the youngster is not putting a time frame on his tenure with the southern state.
“There’s no duration but definitely I will try and stay here as long as I can,” he said.
“So far it’s been enjoyable … I don’t see why I would go anywhere else.”
Doran, who played for the Prime Minister’s XI against England and the Chairman’s XI against South Africa last summer, is in Hobart for only a couple of weeks before heading to the UK for an under-19 series.
He denied the shift to Tasmania was financially driven, pointing instead to greater opportunity and a move away from the “distractions” of NSW.
“There’s a lot of stuff I need to work on and getting away from the distractions … the coaches here are going to help me progress my career … that’s one part of why I did come here,” Doran said.
Within two years he wants to cement his spot in Shield cricket, admitting the long-form game is where his interest lies.
“If I can get a spot in the longer format (that) would be my priority at the moment, focusing on red-ball cricket and trying to push my case forward there,” Doran said, adding that he would be happy with whatever Shield or one-day spots Tassie can offer in the short term.