Shaun Marsh admits he lost his passion for cricket after being dropped with a thud from the Test team two summers ago.
Marsh scored 141 in a stunning Test debut against Sri Lanka, but just six matches and five months later he was out the back door after averaging less than three in a series against India.
The contrasting extremes of the roller coaster had taken its toll.
Nearly two years on, Marsh is back in the mix to make a Test return against England in the Ashes.
The 30-year-old is pessimistic about his chances for the first Test at the Gabba, with George Bailey in the box seat for the vacant No.6 position and Alex Doolan also staking claim.
But Marsh says his confidence is back.
“I started really high and came crashing down pretty quickly. It took me a while to get my head around it and to really start enjoying cricket again,” he said.
“I lost that passion for a little bit but it’s definitely back now and I’m looking forward to a big season.”
Marsh admits he wasn’t mentally equipped to deal with Test cricket at his last attempt.
The left-hander acknowledges he may have squandered his talent over the years, but he’s worked out why he plays the game.
“I could have performed a lot better coming through. I still have a lot to work on with my four day stuff. I’m looking forward to getting a few hundreds,” he said.
“I love playing cricket. I’ve been very lucky to play it and have it as a job. Just that feeling of being around the boys and playing well for my state and trying to achieve something.”
Marsh says if Australia pick him for a recall, they’ll see a more mature cricketer capable of slotting in anywhere in the line-up.
“I’m pretty flexible in the batting order, I’ve batted everywhere in the last 10 years,” he said.
“I’m feeling really confident, I’ve got my hunger back. It’ll be nice to contribute to the WA team. I’ve been poor over last couple of seasons.”