Jake Weatherald

And then obviously when you're playing, just the criticism you got from the poms and even your own supporters at times when you're not doing as well as you should be.

I think they're things that you need to learn to deal with when you're playing test cricket.

So that's probably the biggest thing I took away was while I can believe in my game, there's other parts of cricket that make it hard and the scrutiny around everything.

around your technique, around how the team's doing, and all that stuff can influence your performance.

So for me, it was just understanding those potential thinking traps and preparing well for the next time I go and play test cricket.

Obviously, it'll be different playing Bangladesh compared to an actual series, but at the same time, the scrutiny's still going to be there.

And then potentially going to South Africa, where we haven't been there since the infamous incident.

So there's a lot of exciting stuff, and I'm sure a lot of pressure on...

all the players that go there, but I'll hopefully be prepared mentally for that challenge.

I haven't really thought about the position I have to defend.

I guess it's going to be, as you said, there's a long time between now and the first test match, but also no major games as well.

So I guess getting a contract allows me the opportunity to believe that I'm around the mark, which is all I want.

And then it's up to me to show that I've progressed from the ashes and got better.

I'm not blind by saying that I probably didn't do enough to say that I should definitely get a spot.

So I think for me it's just making sure when I rock up to camps and prepare well that I've showed that I've improved from my last Test match and my last game and that my game's in better order and that those opportunities playing Test cricket that I've actually got better from doing it and that I've gone and taken this time in County Cricket in the two months leading into this next game.

that have actually technically and mentally got better and can deal with the, the rigorous, um, tasks ahead, which all the series we're going to play.

So for me, it's just proving that, and that might just have to be a training.

It might just be the, how I got my batting and, um, and it is a bit of a field thing for them.

Um, and again, there's, you know, I'm by no stretch of the imagination, uh, imagination think that I should be playing every, the game if I'm, if I'm not getting better.

So for me, it's just about doing that really.