It’s been a tougher road to Australian honours than it looked when he debuted for Queensland in 2010 but that probably made the phone call from John Inverarity even sweeter for Chris Lynn.
The Brisbane Heat batsman was taking his dog for a walk when he got the call he was in Australia’s Twenty20 squad for the upcoming three-match series against England.
After two seasons when injury and some indifferent form took Lynn from being spoken as a possible Test bolter to battling to hold onto his state spot, it’s a rich reward.
The 23-year-old right-hander hasn’t looked back after he was a late inclusion in a WA Chairman’s XI to play a tour match against England in October.
Lynn made 104 and 61no in the match to kickstart his summer and has also battered 197 runs at 32.83 in the Big Bash League to put him on the brink of his international debut.
While he still dreams about one day getting his hand on a baggy green, for Lynn, getting the opportunity to represent his country after the past two summers is all he could have hoped for.
“I knew there was a long road ahead,” Lynn said of his injury woes.
“I was in a pretty dark place there for a while. I’ve bounced back now and I’m just enjoying every day at the moment.
“I always thought I could get to this level at some stage, I just had to do the right things. It’s paid off.”
While Lynn’s path to the top has hit some hurdles along the way, it’s been an express journey for unheralded legspinner James Muirhead.
The 20-year-old was the bolter, called up to the national team after just four matches of T20 cricket in his career.
Inverarity said Muirhead’s impressive displays for a Cricket Australia Invitational XI against England in Sydney made selectors want to give him a go for the national team as they hunt for spin options for this year’s T20 World Cup in Bangladesh.
“We are looking at our spin bowling options,” Inverarity said.
“Xavier Doherty has strong claims, Brad Hogg still has strong claims, and we are interested in a legspinner also.
“So we are looking at James Muirhead this time.”
Both Lynn and Muirhead will be keen to take their chances in the three-match series against England, with the 15-man T20 World Cup squad to be announced on February 16.
“When there’s an event like that coming up you always strive for it,” Lynn said.
George Bailey, dumped from the Test squad, remains T20 captain while former captain Cameron White is back in the squad and paceman Mitchell Starc has been selected with his injured back expected to clear in time for the series opener.
David Warner, Shane Watson and Mitchell Johnson have been rested.
Twenty20 14-man squad: George Bailey (capt), Aaron Finch, Dan Christian, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Ben Cutting, James Faulkner, Josh Hazelwood, Moises Henriques, Glenn Maxwell, James Muirhead, Chris Lynn, Mitchell Starc, Matthew Wade, Cameron White.
