Scott Boland: The Best 'Spare' Fast Bowler Around

Scott Boland: The Best 'Spare' Fast Bowler Around (Image Source: AFP)

Australia may be without star quicks Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood when the Ashes begin against England on Friday, but they have the luxury of calling on perhaps the best "spare" fast bowler in the world -- Scott Boland.

The ever-reliable Boland has played just 14 Tests, but only because the "big three" of Cummins, Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc have been at the top of their game for so long.

Whenever the right-armer has had the opportunity, he has grabbed it with both hands -- something England know all too well.

In the space of four overs during the 2021-22 Ashes, he shifted from a stalwart of domestic cricket to international star with an incredible 6-7 on his Test debut at the Melbourne Cricket Ground when filling in for the injured Hazlewood.

That remarkable performance, in front of his home crowd, earned him the moniker "cult hero" and the humble 36-year-old has only solidified his status as a beloved figure in Australian cricket.

"We've got a pretty good replacement in Scott Boland, who I think is arguably one of the best bowlers in the world," said Steve Smith, who will captain Australia in the absence of Cummins.

"His record in Australia is outrageous. We're lucky to have Scotty there ready to go."

Cummins, who has not played since injuring his back on the West Indies tour mid-year, is targeting a return for the second Test in Brisbane.

Hazlewood is battling a hamstring strain and it is unclear when he will be fit again.

With uncertainty surrounding the pair and Australia likely to rotate their quicks, Boland could play an outsized part in the five-Test series that starts in Perth on Friday.

Former England captain Mike Atherton stirred the pot by suggesting Boland was a poor replacement and "holds no fear" for the English batsmen.

He based his assumption on Boland struggling during the last Ashes campaign in England in 2023 where he bagged just two wickets in as many games, costing 115.50 apiece.

- Unrelenting accuracy -

But Australia is very different, with its fast, bouncy pitches.

In his nine matches on home turf Boland he has taken 49 wickets at an average of just 12.63.

"I know there's been some press around 'England have worked Scott Boland out'," said Australian coach Andrew McDonald.

"But when he comes back into Australian conditions, he gets bounce, hits the rope (seam), he's a handful.

"Last year against India, Rohit Sharma rated him the best bowler of that series. That's a huge compliment from an opposing captain."

In that home series against India, Boland claimed 21 wickets in three matches.

While now a regular in the Australia squad, it was a long road to the top for Boland.

He made his first-class debut in late 2011 for state side Victoria, before a breakout Sheffield Shield summer in 2013-14 which carried over to the next season.

It earned him a call-up as a standby for Australia's Hobart Test against the West Indies in 2015, but it was another six years before his now legendary debut.

Boland's strength is his ability to target the stumps with unrelenting accuracy, a facet of his game he plans to employ against the likes of Harry Brook, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett and Joe Root.

"That's really important for me," he said.

"I haven't got the bounce a Hazlewood does or Pat does, and I haven't got the pace of Starcy, so it's really important for me to be accurate.

"I know when we go into a bowling meeting we all come out laughing that it's top of off and the occasional bouncer, I don't think anything will really change from that.

"We've pretty much played against all these guys before, so we roughly know our plans, and we'll just be honing in on them."