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Allrounder has been laid low with a bad back since October last year, and will turn out as a specialist batter for Surrey next week. Matt Roller30-Mar-2022.

"Not being in the squad and watching it [last year's T20 World Cup] was hard," he said, "because we were two weeks away from it and then I got injured. Instead, he has had to contend with watching from home, exchanging messages with downcast team-mates and feeling frustrated at his lack of control over the team's fortunes. "At the time, I was really frustrated that I didn't go into the auction, but looking back at how the last couple of months have gone - I haven't been part of Surrey's winter for a long time, so it has been nice to be part of it again. You go down for breakfast every day and you're sitting with superstars, sitting down and chatting about the game." But I'm still quite young, so I didn't want to overdo it with the match intensity and big crowds out there and risk another injury from coming back too early. He had hoped to make his return in the IPL but was advised against entering his name in the auction and instead finds himself with "itchy feet" ahead of Surrey's County Championship opener against Warwickshire at Edgbaston next week, where he is expected to play as a specialist batter.