Daniel Worrall is looking forward to getting going with the Surrey squad this campaign as he embarks on a fresh start to his career following the conclusion of the Australian domestic season.
Worrall, who was born in Australia, holds a British passport and signed a three-year deal with the club ahead of the 2022 season but not as an overseas player. The 30-year old spent 10 seasons with South Australia, picking up 184 first-class wickets at an average of 29.03.
“It’s the youngest, freshest, most excited I’ve felt about playing since I was 21,” he said when speaking to cricket.com.au. “In my mind, I’m going as a rookie with everything to learn and with a full career ahead of me.
“I’ve always had the ambition to play in England as an Englishman. So as soon as I had this opportunity to go over there with Surrey, it’s just a no-brainer because it gives me a way to stay fresh, change it up and almost put a line through the first half of my career and start again as a 30-year-old with the mindset of a 21-year-old.”
The Melbourne-born fast bowler made three one-day international appearances for Australia in 2016 and felt it was the right time to switch allegiance and put his skills to the test in English conditions. However, Worrall is no stranger to the Duke’s ball, having taken 53 County Championship wickets at an average of 22.53 in three spells for Gloucestershire, most recently in 2021.
“The South Australian team hasn’t been performing as well as we would have liked the last couple of years,” he said. “A lot of the guys I played with for 10 years at SA were moving on, so I felt it was probably my time as well to let the new generation take over and have a go.
“I don’t think I’ve struggled in Australia by any means, but it’s a different way to bowl. You get rewarded for being tall, fast, bouncy, whereas in England the pitches are different, so there’s not such a priority on those attributes. It’s more about being crafty with angles, swing, seam and I love how it’s a bit more skill-based for bowlers. That’s a different test and it’s something that intrigues me.”
