Callum Ferguson wants to bat on for a Redbacks Shield title but new contract is last thing on veteran’s mind
Callum Ferguson believes he can play long enough for a dream Sheffield Shield title but has a wise message for teammates.
Cricket
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Callum Ferguson wants to bat on with prolific Tom Cooper but warns against playing for contracts as South Australia’s Sheffield Shield destiny hangs in the balance.
Cooper is the leading Shield run-scorer with 749 at 64 while Ferguson placed top three on the one-day aggregate with 403 at 47 in a story of castaways one season and linchpins the next.
Having survived 15 years at first-class level, Ferguson is adept at reconciling cricket’s swings and roundabouts after being axed with two Shield games remaining last season.
“I feel like I have a few years left yet. I am desperate to help South Australia win a Shield,” Ferguson told The Advertiser.
“My body has held up really well.
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“You just have to understand what the sport is like. Decisions aren’t going to go your way sometimes. It is a sport you have to ride the wave.
“I have been proud of the way Coops has handled the ride he has had, a lot of one year contracts, not getting contracts. He would not have let himself down in Australian colours.”
The Redbacks could feature in the Shield final against New South Wales in Wollongong by beating Victoria and Queensland in their remaining games. Defeats could consign the Redbacks to a third straight wooden spoon and have players pondering contract futures.
Former Test batsman Ferguson says focusing on team success inoculates against self doubt and uncertainty.
“The guys that are thinking of the team generally get the right results. I would encourage anyone thinking about that stuff to just be focused on what the team needs now,” said Ferguson with SA trailing second placed Queensland by six points.
“If we win our last two we might be in a position to make the final.”
At 35, former Test batsman Ferguson’s fluent stroke play is more suited to filling boots in the middle-order role but has put his hand up to bat No. 3 in the absence of candidates.
“If anyone ever asks me I will say yes. I don’t want to go to bed at night thinking I didn’t take something on,” said Ferguson who struck his 20th first-class ton after answering stand-in skipper Alex Carey’s call to bat at No. 3 against Western Australia in Perth last November.
Ferguson top scored with 82 in the second innings of SA’s 133-run loss to New South Wales at Bankstown this week. Jamie Siddons’ side must quickly regroup to confront resurgent champion Victoria at Adelaide Oval starting Friday.
“We will go into the game against Victoria wanting the guys to feel the hurt but making sure we are rational and not taking too much of a confidence hit,” said Ferguson with 438 Shield runs at 36 this season.
He’s been a Redbacks stalwart but Ferguson found a ‘new lease of life’ captaining Sydney Thunder to the top three this BBL season.
“It brought out another level of competitiveness in me. I have enjoyed coming back to the Redbacks, play with two very good groups of men,” he said.