Dan Christian enjoyed an off-season at Lord’s, where he was employed to play Twenty20 cricket.
Christian is now back whacking the red ball as he chases a one-day World Cup recall in the Sheffield Shield.
It’s the sort of helter-skelter schedule that hurtles players between formats and causes angst among many cricket fans, but not Christian.
“I like to be continually playing. It keeps me fit,” Christian said.
“I’d much rather that than running around a freezing cold MCG in June.”
Playing at the spiritual home of cricket for the first time was an obvious thrill, but the lessons learned were lasting.
“It was really good for my cricket. I was playing every weekend and some second-team stuff during the week,” he said.
“I definitely learned some new things in those conditions.”
Christian has been away for most of the year, linking up with the national T20 side in South Africa during March before they journeyed to Bangladesh for the World Cup.
A short break was followed by Middlesex commitments, then it was back to Melbourne for pre-season training with Victoria.
Christian has become somewhat of a forgotten man among Australia’s all-rounder stocks in that time, missing out on one-day tours to Zimbabwe, UAE and the upcoming home series against South Africa.
But the 31-year-old, on the cusp of a Test debut three years ago, gave national selectors a reminder of his powerful stroke play in last week’s season-opening Shield clash.
Christian flayed a NSW attack that featured Josh Hazlewood and Gurinder Sandhu, belting six sixes in an unbeaten century.
“I felt like I was hitting them really well in the one-dayers as well, but I just couldn’t get that big score,” Christian said.
“It was nice to convert one.”
With the domestic one-day competition over, Christian must build his World Cup case in the Shield and Big Bash League.
“Runs in any format are going to be important for anyone trying to make their way into the Australian side, I’m no different,” he said.
“I just want to try and win some games for Victoria.”
